By

Eniola Olatunji 

 

The Super Eagles of Nigeria delivered a commanding performance on Monday night in Fez, Morocco, as they cruised to a 4–0 victory over the Mambas of Mozambique in the Round of 16, setting four major records in the process.

 

Backed by a vibrant Nigerian fan base that filled the stadium with chants and musical instruments, Nigeria became the first team at the tournament to win four consecutive matches. The Eagles also set new benchmarks as the first side to score four goals in a single match, the first to reach 12 goals in the competition, and the team with the highest-ever winning margin against Mozambique, surpassing the previous 4–2 record from their 2014 CHAN encounter.

 

Victor Osimhen thought he had opened the scoring in the second minute, but the goal was ruled offside. Nigeria’s breakthrough eventually came in the 20th minute when Adams Akor finished calmly from an Ademola Lookman assist. Five minutes later, Lookman’s dangerous cross caused confusion in the Mozambican defence, allowing Osimhen to tap home Nigeria’s second goal.

 

The Super Eagles returned from the break with renewed intensity. Osimhen completed his brace in the 47th minute, converting a well-weighted lob from Lookman. The fourth goal arrived in the 75th minute when Lookman rounded the Mozambican goalkeeper and finished in style, a moment that prompted visible frustration from the goalkeeper before he was substituted by his coach.

 

Despite the emphatic win, discipline remains a concern for Nigeria. Wilfred Ndidi picked up a yellow card, while Calvin Bassey was booked deep into stoppage time in the 90+3rd minute, a caution that will rule him out of the quarterfinal pending confirmation by CAF.

 

Nigeria will now face the winner of the Algeria versus DR Congo clash in the quarterfinals scheduled for Saturday, January 10, in Marrakesh. After playing all four matches in the colder city of Fez, the Super Eagles are expected to move to the warmer climate of Marrakesh on Tuesday morning.

 

Mozambique, who reached the Round of 16 for the first time in their AFCON history, had qualified after a 3–1 win over Gabon, but losses to Cameroon and Ivory Coast ended their campaign against a ruthless Nigerian side.

 

Nigeria topped their group with wins over Tanzania (3–1), Tunisia (3–2), and Uganda (3–1), emerging as the highest goal scorers in the group stage. Historically, the Eagles have now won four of their five meetings with Mozambique, scoring 11 of the 15 total goals shared between both sides.

 

Off the pitch, motivation around the tournament has intensified following CAF’s decision to raise the AFCON winner’s prize money to $10 million. Reports indicate that an unnamed Nigerian billionaire has promised the Super Eagles $10,000 per goal scored against Mozambique, earning the team a total of $40,000 from the Round of 16 encounter alone, in addition to incentives received during the group stage.

 

Attention now shifts to the remaining Round of 16 fixtures on Tuesday, with Algeria facing DR Congo and Ivory Coast taking on Burkina Faso. The quarterfinals will begin on Friday, January 9, with Mali battling Senegal, followed later that night by hosts Morocco squaring off against Cameroon.