By

Eniola Olatunji 
 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Saturday night produced a dominant display to eliminate the Algerian Desert Warriors from the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, securing a convincing 2–0 quarterfinal victory and booking their 16th semifinal appearance from 21 AFCON outings.

 

Flying out from Marrakesh, Nigeria gallantly asserted control against the North Africans, whose challenge quickly faded under sustained pressure. The breakthrough came two minutes into the second half when talismanic striker Victor Osimhen rose to meet a Bruno Onyemachi cross, powering a header into the ground and past Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane in the 47th minute. The goal was Osimhen’s fourth of the tournament and the opener against Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, who recently opted to represent Algeria.

 

Ten minutes later, Nigeria struck again. Alex Iwobi, influential in midfield, released Osimhen, who unselfishly squared the ball to substitute Adams Akor. Akor sold a clever dummy to Zidane before calmly slotting home in the 57th minute to double Nigeria’s advantage.

 

The Super Eagles thought they had added a third when a goal that clearly crossed the line was controversially ruled out by VAR, with officials insisting the entire ball had not crossed before being cleared—despite multiple replays suggesting otherwise.

 

Nigeria’s dominance was overwhelming, particularly in the first half when Algeria failed to register a single shot on goal. By full time, Nigeria had recorded 12 shots, five on target, while Algeria managed only two attempts, none on target. The Desert Warriors improved slightly in the final 15 minutes but resorted to physical play, committing 24 fouls to Nigeria’s 11, with five yellow cards shown to Algeria and three to Nigeria.

 

The defeat marked a poignant end to Riyad Mahrez’s AFCON career, as the Algerian captain bowed out of the tournament for the final time. It also silenced pre-match bravado from the Algerian camp, where players had reportedly issued inflammatory remarks against Nigeria—words that ultimately backfired on the pitch.

 

Algeria had arrived at the quarterfinals in strong form, scoring eight goals, conceding just one, and keeping three clean sheets en route. Nigeria, however, remain the tournament’s most prolific side, scoring 12 goals and conceding four, including a record 4–0 demolition of Mozambique in the round of 16.

 

The match took place amid ongoing controversy surrounding refereeing decisions at AFCON 2025. CAF replaced the initially appointed referee for the Nigeria–Algeria clash within 24 hours, citing alleged sponsorship violations. Similar officiating disputes have rocked the tournament, raising concerns over consistency and credibility despite the presence of VAR.

 

Historically, Nigeria and Algeria have now met nine times, with each side recording three wins and three draws. Nigeria have scored 12 of the 21 total goals in those encounters. Their most emphatic win remains a 5–2 victory in a World Cup qualifier, while Nigeria also famously defeated Algeria 3–0 in the 1980 AFCON final in Lagos.

 

Nigeria, ranked 38th in the world, are three-time AFCON champions (1980, 1994, 2013) and continue to underline their status as one of Africa’s football powerhouses. Algeria, ranked 34th globally, remain two-time champions, having lifted the trophy in 1990 and 2019.

 

The Super Eagles will now face hosts Morocco in the second semifinal on Wednesday, January 14, at 9:00 pm at the Stade Moulay Abdellah. The first semifinal will be played earlier the same day at 6:00 pm in Tangier, featuring Senegal against either Egypt or Ivory Coast.

 

The final quarterfinal match between seven-time champions Egypt and defending champions Ivory Coast is scheduled for later tonight in Agadir at 8:00 pm.