Danjuma Amodu | January 10, 2026
Nigeria secured a commanding 2–0 victory over Algeria in the AFCON 2025 quarter-final at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Saturday, booking their place in the semi-finals where they will meet host nation Morocco on Wednesday.
After dominating possession but failing to convert chances in a goalless first half, Nigeria unleashed their lethal edge early in the second period. Victor Osimhen, the Galatasaray striker and tournament standout, broke the deadlock just 85 seconds after the restart with a clinical header from Bruno Onyemaechi’s deep cross marking Osimhen’s fourth goal at AFCON 2025. Ten minutes later, Sevilla forward Akor Adams doubled the lead, rounding Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane after being played through by Osimhen in a slick attacking move.
Adams nearly added a third late on but saw his header crash against the left-hand post with nine minutes remaining. Earlier, Calvin Bassey had come close to opening the scoring after connecting with Ademola Lookman’s free-kick, but Zidane deflected the ball, which appeared to cross the line before Ramy Bensebaini cleared it out, reigniting calls for goal-line technology at future AFCON tournaments.
Osimhen delivered a man-of-the-match performance, transitioning from finisher to provider as Nigeria controlled proceedings and kept Algeria’s attack at bay.
The Desert Foxes, unbeaten run prior to this match, could only manage three shots in total, none on target highlighting Nigeria’s defensive solidity and clinical efficiency, with Bassey, Ajayi, Osayi and Bruno marshalling to the admiration of Nigerians With Versatile Iwobi doing a yeoman job at the midfield.
Nigeria now prepares to face Morocco in the semi-final at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on Wednesday. Morocco secured their spot with a dominant win over Cameroon on Friday night.
In a gesture of national pride and support, BUA Group chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu pledged USD $500,000 to the Super Eagles if they win the semi-final against Morocco, with an additional USD $50,000 for every goal scored. Should Nigeria lift the AFCON trophy, Rabiu promised USD $1,000,000 plus USD $100,000 per goal in the final.
Nigeria’s victory not only advances them to the semi-finals but also extends their unbeaten run to five consecutive wins at AFCON 2025, making them the tournament’s highest scoring team with 14 goals and a +10 goal difference.
