The head coach of the national football team, Vladimir Petkovic, called Wednesday’s match against Equatorial Guinea (5:00 p.m.) “tricky,” stressing how important it is to wrap up the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a third straight win in Group E.
“Yes, we are through already, but this game means a great deal for team morale and keeping our winning run going. We also need to show, both as individual players and as a team, our true values, and keep improving as we look ahead to the knockout stages,” he told reporters at a press conference.
The national team has made a perfect start to their campaign, chalking up back-to-back wins against Sudan (3-0) and Burkina Faso (1-0), which has secured top spot in the group ahead of the final group game.
The national team head coach also warned about the strength of their next opponents, who were knocked out after suffering two defeats to Burkina Faso (2-1) and Sudan (1-0).
“It is going to be a tough match, they have had some bad luck too, particularly in their opening game. As always, we are focused on our own performance, while respecting the opposition, and we are definitely looking to win tomorrow as well,” he added.
Discussing the match against Equatorial Guinea’s “Nzalang Nacional,” Petkovic is anticipating an intense encounter. “A demanding, important game where we will need to give our all. They are an opponent we have faced before, we know them fairly well, and they know us too. That is why I expect a very tight contest, always on a knife-edge,” he said, announcing possible changes to his starting lineup.
“Tomorrow, I will be making some changes, but I still need to wait and see how the players are doing, everything is not completely clear yet. I have faith in my players. I still need to assess how many changes I will make, but it definitely will not be the same eleven who started the last two games,” he said.
