Lookman knocks Angola out in quarter-finals as Nigeria stick to Afcon script

The greatest shock of all, perhaps, is when there is no shock. In a Cup of Nations in which reputation and pre-tournament billing has meant nothing, there was at last a game that went the way that might have been expected, as Ademola Lookman’s first-half goal and a fourth clean sheet in a row carried Nigeria to the last four of the Cup of Nations for the 16th time.

It is a familiar position for them to be in, and it was a familiar way in which they achieved it. Although Zini hit the post when the score was 1-0, this was another very controlled performance from José Peseiro’s side, the only real concern their failure to add a second and make the game safe.

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