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Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a commanding 2–0 victory over Algeria at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Saturday.

The Desert Foxes, who had conceded just one goal throughout the tournament before the quarter-final, were undone by Nigeria’s relentless pressure and clinical second-half finishing.

The result sets up a mouth-watering semi-final clash between Nigeria and tournament hosts Morocco.

Though the first half was goalless despite Nigeria’s dominance, the Super Eagles scored twice in the second half to cap an impressive display.

Nigeria broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart when Victor Osimhen rose highest to power home a trademark header from Bruno Onyemaechi’s pinpoint cross.

Victor Osimhen opened the scoring in the 47th minute with a powerful header, before Akor Adams sealed the win in the 57th minute with a composed right-footed finish.

READ ALSO: Diaz Scores Again As Morocco Beat Cameroon To Reach AFCON Semis

The goal was Osimhen’s fourth of the tournament.

Ten minutes later, the Super Eagles doubled their advantage with a beautifully executed team move.

Alex Iwobi split the Algerian defence with a delightful outside-of-the-boot pass, Osimhen selflessly squared the ball across goal, and Adams calmly rounded goalkeeper Luca Zidane before slotting into an empty net.

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Nigeria had dominated proceedings long before the goals arrived.

In the first half, they controlled possession, dictated the tempo, and created multiple scoring opportunities, with Algeria defender Ramy Bensebaini making several crucial goal-line clearances to keep the score level at the break.

Algeria struggled to impose itself and failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match, despite second-half changes that included the introduction of Baghdad Bounedjah.

Nigeria, meanwhile, continued to threaten, with Adams later hitting the post and other chances going narrowly wide.

Iwobi orchestrated play superbly from midfield, while Calvin Bassey anchored the defence with authority.

Wilfred Ndidi received a yellow card, which could raise concerns ahead of the semi-final, but Nigeria’s defensive unit remained solid to see out the contest. Late substitutions, including Moses Simon, helped manage the closing stages comfortably.

The victory sends Nigeria into the semi-finals, where they will face hosts Morocco in what promises to be a blockbuster encounter.

With their attack firing and confidence soaring, the Super Eagles look well-positioned to push for a fourth continental title.

Victor Osimhen is on the verge of etching his name into Nigerian football folklore.

The forward is now two goals away from equalling Rashidi Yekini’s record of 37 goals for the Super Eagles after scoring in Nigeria’s win over Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

READ ALSO: High-Flying Super Eagles Defeat Algeria’s Desert Foxes To Reach AFCON Semi-Final

The 27-year-old Galatasaray striker had scored 34 goals going into Saturday’s match.

He powered home from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross to add to his national team goal tally as the dominant three-time African champions put the Desert Foxes to the sword at the Grand Stade de Marrakech.

Osimhen reached the milestone after 51 games for the 2023 champions.

Sevilla striker, Akor Adams, netted the other goal on the day as Nigeria romped into the semi-final of the continental showpiece, where they will take on hosts, Morocco.

However, the ex-Napoli striker is not bothered about breaking the record and has set his sights on helping Nigeria win another AFCON title.

“I have said countless times that it doesn’t matter if I equal or surpass the record,” Osimhen told reporters after the victory over Algeria.

“Rashidi Yekini is the best striker the Super Eagles have ever produced, and for me, I just try to do my best for the team,” he said.

“For me, I was involved in the game, reflecting on my experience in the previous Africa Cup of Nations. It’s not just about scoring decisive goals, but about how we influence the game and contribute to the victory—that’s what matters most in the national team.

“I always strive to improve myself, both mentally and physically,” Osimhen added.

In March, the Super Eagle overtook Segun Odegbami (23 goals) as Nigeria’s second all-time top scorer.

Osimhen is also in contention for the top scorer gong at the 2025 AFCON, having registered four goals, one behind Morocco’s Brahim Diaz.

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has three goals in the competition.

Meanwhile, with Saturday’s victory, the Super Eagles have now reached the last-four of the competition for the second time in a row.

They finished as runners-up in Cote d’Ivoire, losing 2-1 to the hosts.

Carlos Alcaraz beat his great rival Jannik Sinner in a light-hearted sell-out exhibition match in South Korea on Saturday, ahead of the Australian Open.

Eight days before the Melbourne Grand Slam and in their first appearances this year, the Spanish world number one won 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) in front of an enthusiastic 12,000 crowd in Incheon.

Neither will play competitively until the Australian Open, where Italy’s world number two Sinner is the defending two-time champion.

South Korean organisers have not said how much the two players earned, but reports in Italy suggest each could pocket more than $2 million for the match that lasted one hour and 47 minutes.

READ ALSO: Diaz Scores Again As Morocco Beat Cameroon To Reach AFCON Semis

It was not always entirely serious; the smiling duo treated a packed house to some trick shots between their legs, drawing cheers, and reacted to calls from the crowd by making heart gestures.

“Jannik, we finished the season playing together. We started the season playing together,” Alcaraz said on court afterwards.

“So hopefully this season is going to be such a good one like last year. You deserve the best.”

Alcaraz and Sinner have taken a stranglehold on men’s tennis over the past two years, splitting all four Grand Slam titles between them in 2024 and 2025.

“It was a close match, so a little bit of tension also,” said Sinner.

“We were just happy to be here for the first time, seeing something new. It made us feel at home, and we felt it on the court.”

Arch competitors on the court but good friends off it, Alcaraz has the upper hand in their rivalry and came into the exhibition boasting a 10-6 head-to-head record.

They will be the favourites when the Australian Open starts in Melbourne on January 18, when the serious work begins.

The Africa Cup of Nations reaches the quarter-final stage this weekend with a series of mouthwatering ties between the continent’s heavyweights. AFP Sport picks out five stars enjoying their first AFCON to look out for in the last eight:

Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/Morocco)

Moroccans were perhaps pinning their hopes of Cup of Nations glory on home soil on skipper Achraf Hakimi. But while the African player of the year hardly featured in the group stage as he recovered from injury, Diaz wasted no time in becoming their key man.

Diaz, 26, has scored in every game including the crucial strike to beat Tanzania in the last 16. That makes him the tournament’s leading marksman on four goals.

Born in Malaga, Diaz was capped by Spain at full international level in 2021 but later switched allegiance to Morocco, from where his father hails. The ex-Manchester City and AC Milan winger broke into the Atlas Lions’ side shortly after the last AFCON in 2024 and will have an important part to play against Cameroon on Friday.

Christian Kofane (Bayer Leverkusen/Cameroon)

Cameroon appear to be in permanent turmoil these days but they have so far enjoyed a successful AFCON with a number of exciting young players to the fore. None more so than Kofane, the 19-year-old forward from Douala who joined Bayer Leverkusen ahead of this campaign from Albacete in Spain’s second tier.

He has started 10 games for Leverkusen this season, scoring against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven. Those performances convinced new Indomitable Lions coach David Pagou to include him in his squad to go to Morocco.

Kofane made his first appearance in the 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast before netting the winner against Mozambique in the final group game and then the goal that secured a 2-1 success over South Africa in the last 16.

Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris Saint-Germain/Senegal)

The 17-year-old PSG winger hails from the suburbs of the French capital and represented France at youth international level before deciding in the run-up to the Cup of Nations to play for Senegal, his father’s country of origin.

Mbaye, who has made 20 appearances for European champions PSG this season, was therefore handed a debut for the Lions of Teranga in a November friendly defeat by Brazil.

He has gone on to have a significant impact for Senegal in Morocco, showing that he belongs among the likes of Sadio Mane and Iliman Ndiaye.

Mbaye came off the bench to set up his team’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, and set up a goal as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Benin. Again appearing from the bench, Mbaye scored the third goal in the 3-1 win over Sudan in the last 16. His side face Mali in the last eight on Friday.

Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen/Algeria)

“Mazadona” has been thrilling on Algeria’s run to the quarters. The 20-year-old Berlin-born attacking midfielder represented Germany as a youth but has Algerian heritage and opted in late 2024 to play for them after impressive performances for Hertha Berlin.

Maza, who joined Leverkusen ahead of this season for a reported 12 million euros ($14m), has had a huge impact for Algeria playing behind the striker.

He came off the bench to score in their opening win against Sudan and has started every game since, picking up the man of the match prize against Burkina Faso and finding the net against Equatorial Guinea. A future superstar.

Akor Adams (Sevilla/Nigeria)

The big 25-year-old striker is a great addition to a fearsome Nigerian attack led by Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

Adams, who joined La Liga side Sevilla from Montpellier a year ago, was not part of the Super Eagles set-up until October, when he scored on his debut in World Cup qualifying against Lesotho.

Nigeria are up against Algeria in the quarter-final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a semi-final ticket on the line. 

The AFCON classic is a rematch of the 2019 semi-final between the Desert Foxes and the Super Eagles, won by the Algerians courtesy of a stunning late free kick from Riyad Mahrez.

Saturday’s eagerly anticipated match will see two teams on a winning streak at the 2025 AFCON taking on each other. Nigeria’s attacking flair, with 12 goals in four games, will be put to the test against an Algerian defence that has conceded just one in the same number of games. 

The deadly attacking duo of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will be up against an impregnable Luca Zidane in goal for the 2019 champions, making the clash an interesting encounter.

Nigeria trounced Mozambique 4-0 in the round of 16 to reach the quarter-final, while the Algerians pipped DR Congo 1-0 to book their ticket to the last-eight. 

Nigeria Team News

The Super Eagles go into the encounter against Algeria after a bonus row with players threatening to boycott the game. But with that resolved, the team has the full complement of players for selection. Lookman and Osimhen, both on three goals each, are expected to continue their fine form at the AFCON. The defensive solidity of the West Africans will be tested again, having kept only one clean sheet so far. 

Striker Akor Adams is also a threat to any opponent. The Sevilla man has two assists and a goal in the AFCON. Fulham’s Alex Iwobi has grown into the tournament, and Nigeria need him to be in his best element on Saturday, pulling the strings from the middle of the pack!

Eric Chelle will likely keep faith with the same players who featured in the defeat of the Mozambicans on Monday. 

Algeria Team News

For the Algerians, Mahrez, with multiple Premier League titles, remains one of the most outstanding players for the North Africans. The former Manchester City and Leicester City winger has scored three goals in the competition. 

He, alongside Ibrahim Maza on two goals and Anis Moussa, are players Nigeria must keep an eye on if they are to reach the semis of Africa’s most important competition. 

Lucas, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, is a towering figure in the post, having yet to concede in the three games he has featured in Morocco. However, Ismael Bennacer is a doubt for Vladimir Petkovic’s team. 

Nigeria vs Algeria: Head-To-Head Record 

While Algeria and Nigeria are not new to facing each other, the Desert Foxes have had the upper hand in 22 games played between the two sides. They have won 10 times, but Nigeria have nine victories to show for. Three of the matches have ended in draws. 

Algeria last met Nigeria at the AFCON in 2019, where they won 1-0. But the three-time African champions mauled them 3-0 in the first leg of their 2018 World Cup qualifier. 

Nigeria vs Algeria: AFCON 2025 Match Details 

Match: Nigeria vs Algeria

Competition: 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Venue: Marrakech Stadium, Morocco

Date/Time: Saturday at 5 pm (WAT)

Nigeria vs Algeria: Can Nigeria’s Super Eagles Soar Over Algeria?

After the heartbreak of missing out on the 2026 World Cup and failing in the final of the last AFCON, Nigeria will be seeking to stamp their authority as one of the continent’s biggest sides. 

Brahim Diaz kept up his remarkable Africa Cup of Nations scoring record, and Ismael Saibari was also on target as hosts Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0 in their quarter-final showdown on Friday to keep their title dreams alive.

Real Madrid winger Diaz got the decisive touch to Ayoub El Kaabi’s 26th-minute header in front of more than 64,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat.

READ ALSO: Recalled Ndiaye Takes Senegal Past 10-Man Mali Into AFCON Semis

Diaz’s fifth goal in five matches at the tournament was followed by Saibari’s strike in the second half, with Morocco well worth their victory as they progress to a semi-final against the winner of Saturday’s clash between Algeria and Nigeria.

That promises to be a stiffer test for Walid Regragui’s team than that posed by Cameroon, who were hoping to spring an upset, having already exceeded expectations in coming this far after a troubled build-up to the tournament.

The Indomitable Lions, five-time African champions, created little with Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo struggling to make an impact.

Morocco, Africa’s top-ranked team and World Cup semi-finalists in 2022, are under enormous pressure to win the Cup of Nations in front of their own fans, half a century after their last continental title.

There have been doubts as to whether they can handle the weight of expectation, but they remain on course to achieve their objective- it is the first time Morocco have reached the AFCON semi-finals since they lost the 2004 final to Tunisia.

The hosts were unchanged from their 1-0 last-16 win over Tanzania as they looked to continue an unbeaten record going back to their defeat by South Africa at the 2024 AFCON.

Fresh from knocking out South Africa in the last round here, Cameroon were clearly banking on frustrating Morocco as much as possible in an attempt to turn the crowd against the home side.

– Saibari seals it –

Morocco were beaten by the Cameroonians in the semi-finals the last time they hosted AFCON in 1988, but a repeat outcome never really looked likely.

David Pagou’s team were not helped by the early loss of right wing-back Jackson Tchamadeu, who tried to carry on after Noussair Mazraoui landed heavily on his knee before eventually being stretchered off.

Moments after that, Morocco scored. Achraf Hakimi sent in a corner from the right which was headed towards goal by El Kaabi at the near post, and the ball struck Diaz in the groin before going in.

That calmed a frenetic home support, who cheered their team off at the break after seeing Abde Ezzalzouli and El Kaabi come close to adding further goals.

Morocco were on top, and Cameroon’s response was to change formation after the break, from a back three to a 4-2-3-1, in an attempt to create more danger.

Ezzalzouli headed just over from a Hakimi corner, and then a cross by the Paris Saint-Germain star caused havoc in the Cameroon box as Samuel Kotto hooked the ball away from the line.