By Milcah Tanimu

Eduardo Celmi Camavinga, the French international midfielder of Angolan descent, has pledged his allegiance to Angola as the Palancas Negras gear up to face Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, according to reports from Soccernet.ng.

Camavinga, born 21 years ago in a refugee camp with Angolan and Congolese roots, has a strong connection to Angola. Despite relocating to France at a young age, he made his senior debut for the French national team in 2020 at just 17, becoming the nation’s youngest debutant in over a century. The versatile midfielder played a key role in France’s runner-up finish to Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Currently part of the Real Madrid squad, Camavinga recently contributed to their 2-1 victory over Las Palmas. Despite his busy schedule, he has been closely following Angola’s journey in the AFCON.

Angola’s Pelancas Negras have impressed in the tournament, remaining undefeated and securing a spot in the quarterfinals by finishing atop Group D and defeating Namibia 3-0 in the Round of 16. Expressing his support for his country of birth, Camavinga liked a Twitter post predicting a 2-0 victory for Angola against Nigeria.

While Angola has reached the quarterfinals twice before, they aim to make history by advancing to the semifinals for the first time. Their encounter with three-time champions Nigeria is set to take place at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Friday evening. Despite Nigeria’s higher world ranking (40th compared to Angola’s 117th), the Palancas Negras will look to defy the odds and secure a place in the tournament’s last four.