Angola Coach, Pedro Gonçalves Names Two Countries That Can Win 2023 AFCON

Angola head coach, Pedro Gonçalves, has predicted the two most likely national teams to win the 2023 AFCON.

Pedro Gonçalves, who will lead Angola to face the Super Eagles of Nigeria at 6 p.m. today, believes that teams like Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria were favourites to win the 2023 AFCON.

Interestingly, the aforementioned countries have been knocked out of the tournament by relatively smaller teams who were seen as minnows.

Since those heavyweights are no longer in the tournament, Gonçalves, a Portuguese tactician, believes that the hosts of the tournament, Ivory Coast, and Angola’s quarter-final opponents, Nigeria, stand a big chance of winning.

Recall that Nigeria defeated Ivory Coast 1-0 in the group stage, and they will not meet again in the tournament until in the final if they are not knocked out before then.

Among all the teams left in the 2023 AFCON, only Nigeria and Ivory Coast have won the title more than once. The Super Eagles, coached by Portuguese tactician, Jose Peseiro, are gunning for their 4th AFCON, while the Ivorians aim for their third.

“We have a difficult task ahead of us against Nigeria in the African Nations quarter-finals,” coach Gonçalves told Al-Hayat channel.

“Peseiro is a great coach and his results with them are good.”

The Portuguese tactician continues, “Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria were initially nominated to win the title, but they all bid farewell to the tournament.

“Now I believe that Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria have the greatest chances of holding the title.”