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The Nigerian military has poked fun at the Angolans on Twitter after the Nigerian men's football team, popularly known as the Super Eagles, recorded a memorable victory against the Palanca Negras in the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d'Ivoire.
The two nations battled for honours at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Friday, February 2, 2024, with a place in the semi-final at stake.
However, the Super Eagles emerged victorious as Atalanta of Italy forward Ademola Lookman continued his two-goal heroics against Cameroon in the previous round.
Lookman made the most of a brilliant pass from Nantes winger Moses Simon, who ran past an Angolan defender after receiving a teasing ball from FC Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi down the Nigerian attacking left.
Simon laid it nicely for the Atalanta forward, who had made a darting run into the opponent's area and fired past Guilherme da Costa in the Angolan goal to put Nigeria in the lead in the 41st minute.
That's the only goal the Super Eagles needed to beat their opponents on the night for a place in the semi-final.
Since the fixture emerged, there has been a superiority battle between the two countries on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). The two sets of fans engaged in healthy banter and bragged about each other's chances of overcoming the other.
But the Angolans didn't have the last laugh despite the flood of confidence their fans poured on the social media space, and the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wouldn't let that slide without rubbing it in.
Responding to a tweet before the game, a Twitter handle, @Angolans, had boasted that Nigeria was no match for the Palanca Negras. "BRING THEM!!!!," the handle responded to a fixture post from another account.
Meanwhile, after the final whistle on Friday, the Twitter account of the DHQ quoted the reply of @Angolans with a picture of some military officers laying funeral wreaths at a ceremony.
The purpose of funeral wreaths in the military ranks is to symbolise respect, remembrance, and sympathy for the souls of fallen colleagues. In simple terms, this was the DHQ's way of saying RIP to the Angolans.
Football rivalry between Nigeria and Angola is few and far between. The game was the first meeting between the oil-rich nations at AFCON, with previous encounters coming in friendly matches, World Cup or Nations Cup qualifiers.
However, Nigerians particularly don't have fond memories of their previous encounters with Angola for various reasons. In 1989, Nigerian midfield talent Samuel Okwaraji slumped and died at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, while playing against the Palanca Negras in a 1990 World Cup qualifier.
Though Okwaraji’s death came from a natural cause, Nigerian football fans always remember the day with sad memories. The biggest blow, from a footballing standpoint, was when Angola stopped Nigeria from qualifying for the World Cup in 2006.
Despite levelling on points after all the matches, Angola secured qualification courtesy of a better head-to-head record, having beaten the Super Eagles 1-0 in Luanda and drawing one all in the reverse fixture in Kano.
In light of this, the Friday victory meant to Nigerians more than just a semi-final berth. It was, in fact, a fight 'for God and country,' as the soldiers would always chant on the war front.