AFCON: Petkovic Relishes Algeria’s Quarterfinal Clash With Nigeria

Algeria head coach, Vladimir Petkovic, has expressed excitement over his team’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal showdown against Nigeria, describing the Super Eagles as a powerful side with a strong chance of winning the tournament.

The Desert Foxes secured their place in the last eight on Tuesday night after edging DR Congo 1-0 in a tightly contested encounter. The hard-fought victory set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal clash with Nigeria, one of the tournament favourites.

Nigeria booked their quarterfinal ticket on Monday with a dominant 4-0 win over Mozambique, a result that further underlined the Super Eagles’ attacking strength and growing confidence in the competition.

Speaking after the win over DR Congo, Petkovic said his attention has now shifted fully to the challenge posed by Nigeria, with preparations already underway for the crucial encounter scheduled for Saturday.

“We’ll start thinking about the Nigeria game now, concentrating on our strengths,” the Algerian coach said. He added that facing a team of Nigeria’s quality at this stage of the tournament demands maximum focus and discipline.

Petkovic noted that matches of this magnitude are important for his squad’s growth, as they force players to raise their level and compete intensely against top opposition. According to him, such encounters bring out the best in teams and test their mental and physical resilience.

Despite the quick turnaround between matches, the coach played down concerns about recovery time, insisting it would not pose a major challenge for his side. He stressed that proper preparation, both mentally and physically, would be key to delivering a strong performance.

“The problem of getting three or four days of rest isn’t really a big deal right now. Our goal is to get ready both in mind and body for the upcoming game,” Petkovic said.

The highly anticipated quarterfinal is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the tournament, with both Algeria and Nigeria eyeing a place in the semifinals.