Nigeria’s Super Eagles delivered a composed and authoritative display on Saturday evening, defeating Algeria 2–0 to secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
At the Marrakesh Stadium, Nigeria combined patience, control and attacking precision to break down a resilient Algerian side, setting up a last-four showdown against tournament hosts Morocco.
The Super Eagles began brightly, pressing aggressively and forcing Algeria into early errors. Inside the opening 15 minutes, Nigeria dominated possession and territory, with Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams posing constant threats from wide areas.
Algeria struggled to find rhythm, relying largely on long balls and set pieces. However, Nigeria’s defence, led confidently by Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey, stood firm, leaving goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali with little to do in the first half.
Nigeria created clearer chances before the interval. Adams squandered a good opening after a neat setup from Alex Iwobi, while Lookman and Victor Osimhen both tested Luca Zidane in the Algerian goal. A late VAR review briefly raised hopes of a Nigerian breakthrough, but the teams went into the break level despite Nigeria’s dominance.
The deadlock was finally broken moments after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, Bruno Onyemaechi sent in a pinpoint cross from the left, and Osimhen rose superbly to guide a composed header past Zidane for a deserved lead.
Buoyed by the goal, Nigeria pushed forward with renewed confidence. Algeria responded with substitutions, including the introduction of Baghdad Bounedjah and Riyad Mahrez, but the Super Eagles remained well-organised and disciplined.
Nigeria doubled their advantage in the 57th minute with a slick team move. Iwobi threaded a perfectly weighted pass through the Algerian defence to Osimhen, who selflessly squared the ball for Akor Adams to round the goalkeeper and roll it into an empty net for 2–0.
From then on, Nigeria were in complete control. Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka dominated midfield, breaking up play and dictating the tempo, while Bassey made a vital recovery to deny Mohamed Amoura a clear scoring chance.
Adams came close to adding a third when his late header struck the post, and substitute Fisayo Dele-Bashiru helped see out the closing stages. Algeria pushed forward desperately, but Nigeria’s defence handled everything with ease.
At the final whistle, the Super Eagles celebrated a convincing victory that highlighted their growing confidence as they continue their quest for a fourth AFCON title.
Nigeria now advance to the semi-finals, where they will face hosts Morocco, carrying belief and momentum from another assured performance.
