Cape Verde or South Africa await the last four.
Africa Cup of Nations favourites Nigeria reached the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Angola.
Ademola Lookman, a former Fulham and Everton winger, scored the game’s sole goal in the 41st minute as the Super Eagles, chasing their fourth AFCON title, faced stiff resistance in Abidjan.
Jose Peseiro’s side will face the winner of Cape Verde’s match against South Africa, which takes place in Yamoussoukro on Saturday, for a spot in the final.
Nigeria’s star striker Victor Osimhen came close twice in the first half with headers, first when he got on the end of Moses Simon’s cross but could only guide it into the goalkeeper’s hands, and then again when he nodded across goal after meeting Ola Aina’s long throw.
The winning goal arrived four minutes before halftime, and Simon was the architect.
Alex Iwobi initiated the motion by sweeping the ball from right to left. Nantes winger Simon created space with a well-timed move down the wing and, after carrying the ball to the byline, looked up to find Lookman. He avoided Angola’s defence and scored a powerful first-time strike into the roof of the net.
Early in the second half, Calvin Bassey grabbed the ball off teammate Osimhen’s foot as he attempted a close-range overhead kick, the Fulham player nodding over the bar after Angola failed to clear a corner as Nigeria attempted to settle the game.
Minutes later, Angola was within an inch of leveling. Zini initiated Nigeria’s offside excursion with a well-timed run from a defence-splitting ball. In a one-on-one with Stanley Nwabali, he opened up his right foot and fired a shot that rebounded off the inside of the post and out to safety.
Osimhen thought he had made it 2-0 when his header from Bassey’s free-kick hit the post, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for offside, much to the relief of Angola goalkeeper Antonio Dominique, who had let the ball slip through his hands.
With 10 minutes remaining, the Napoli striker missed another chance to seal it, sprinting on to Lookman’s ball out of the back and running through on goal. He was thwarted by defender Kialonda Gaspar’s spectacular last-ditch block, which diverted the ball away.
