Victor Osimhen delivered a commanding performance to guide Nigeria’s Super Eagles to a 2–0 victory over Algeria, securing a place in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 following a historic quarter-final success at the Stade de Marrakech.
The result not only extended Nigeria’s flawless run at the tournament but also marked a landmark moment in the Super Eagles’ AFCON history. It was their first-ever quarter-final victory over Algeria at the finals and confirmed a fifth consecutive win at a single AFCON edition — a feat Nigeria had never previously achieved.
The triumph also carried emotional significance, serving as long-awaited redemption for Nigeria after their painful elimination by Algeria at the semi-final stage of the 2019 tournament.
A tense and closely fought first half produced few clear-cut chances as Algeria resisted Nigeria’s early pressure with disciplined defending. However, the breakthrough arrived moments after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, Osimhen found space inside the six-yard box and powered home a close-range header from Bruno Onyemaechi’s precise delivery, finally breaching Algeria’s defensive wall.
Algeria attempted to respond by raising the tempo and introducing fresh attacking options, but Nigeria’s structure, intensity, and organisation remained uncompromised.
Osimhen continued to terrorise the Algerian backline, forcing Luca Zidane into a reflex save at close range before turning creator in the 57th minute. Breaking forward on a swift counter-attack, the striker squared the ball to Akor Adams, who finished confidently with his left foot to give Nigeria a commanding two-goal cushion.
The latter stages of the match were punctuated by frequent stoppages and physical challenges as Algeria pushed forward in desperation. Baghdad Bounedjah and Ramy Bensebaini both threatened intermittently, while Akor Adams struck the woodwork as Nigeria remained dangerous on the counter.
Stanley Nwabali, booked late in the contest, marshalled his defence effectively and dealt calmly with late Algerian pressure, helping the Super Eagles preserve yet another clean sheet despite six minutes of added time.
The win ensured Nigeria maintained a perfect record at AFCON 2025, claiming five victories from five matches — all goals coming from open play. The Super Eagles have now scored 14 goals at the tournament, surpassing their previous AFCON scoring record of 12 set in 2000.
Nigeria’s defensive resilience has also been notable, with back-to-back clean sheets in knockout matches for the second consecutive AFCON tournament. This quarter-final marked Nigeria’s 12th appearance at this stage of the competition, and they have now progressed on 11 occasions, with their only failure coming against Ghana in 2008.
Osimhen’s goal took his tally to four for the tournament, leaving him just one strike behind leading scorer Brahim Díaz. Ademola Lookman, although not on the scoresheet, remained the competition’s top contributor overall with seven goal involvements. Together, Osimhen and Lookman have been directly involved in 13 of Nigeria’s 14 goals at the finals.
The victory also levelled the all-time AFCON head-to-head record between Nigeria and Algeria, with both sides now claiming four wins apiece alongside two draws from 10 meetings. It was their sixth knockout encounter, following previous clashes in two finals, two semi-finals, and a third-place play-off.
Historically, Nigeria defeated Algeria to secure their first AFCON title in 1980, while Algeria claimed victory in the 1990 final and again eliminated Nigeria in the 2019 semi-finals. This latest success, therefore, carried a strong sense of sporting retribution.
Nigeria will now face hosts Morocco in Wednesday’s semi-final as they continue their pursuit of a fourth Africa Cup of Nations crown, buoyed by momentum, history rewritten, and another decisive display from their talismanic striker.
