By Edi Umoh
Nigeria’s Super Eagles secured their place in the AFCON 2025 semifinals with a solid 2–0 victory over Desert Foxes of Algeria in Marrakech on Saturday, setting up a mouthwatering clash with tournament hosts Morocco.
Morocco had already booked their semifinal spot a day earlier after defeating Cameroon 2–0 in Rabat, returning to the AFCON last four for the first time since 2004.
Driven by a passionate home crowd, the Atlas Lions have continued their impressive run and now sit just one win away from a historic final appearance on home soil.
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The quarterfinal between Nigeria and Algeria was a tight, physically demanding contest in the first half, with both teams locked at 0–0 at the break. Nigeria raised the tempo after the restart, and Victor Osimhen made the breakthrough in the 47th minute with a powerful header.
Ten minutes later, the striker turned provider, setting up Akor Adams to double the lead and seal Nigeria’s place in the semifinals.
Osimhen steered home a long cross from the left by Bruno Onyemaechi two minutes into the second half as Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane made a bizarre jump to try and stop the effort but ended up getting his angles wrong and conceding an easy goal.
Adams increased Nigeria’s lead 10 minutes later as Osimhen unselfishly fed him the ball and he took it round Zidane before placing it into an empty net.
Wednesday’s matchup will mark the fifth AFCON meeting between Morocco and Nigeria, with the rivalry perfectly balanced so far. Their first encounters came in 1976, when Morocco claimed two victories.
Nigeria answered with a semifinal win in 1980, before Morocco edged another meeting in 2004. With two wins apiece, this semifinal will finally tip the scales and determine who advances to the AFCON 2025 final.
Morocco and Nigeria will face off on Wednesday, January 14, with both sides chasing a place in the final and a chance to make history.
