Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked a place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with an emphatic 2–0 victory over Algeria at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Saturday.
Algeria, who had conceded just once in the tournament before the quarter-final, were undone by Nigeria’s sustained pressure and clinical finishing after the break, as the Super Eagles set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with hosts Morocco.
Despite dominating possession and territory in a goalless first half, Nigeria had to wait until shortly after the restart to make their superiority count.
The breakthrough came in the 47th minute when Victor Osimhen rose above the Algerian defence to power home a trademark header from Bruno Onyemaechi’s pinpoint cross, registering his fourth goal of the tournament.
Just 10 minutes later, Nigeria doubled their lead with a flowing team move. Alex Iwobi split the defence with a deft outside-of-the-boot pass, Osimhen unselfishly squared across goal, and Akor Adams calmly rounded goalkeeper Luca Zidane before tapping into an empty net.
Nigeria’s dominance had been evident long before the goals arrived. The Super Eagles dictated the tempo in the first half and created several clear chances, with Algeria defender Ramy Bensebaini producing multiple goal-line clearances to keep the Desert Foxes in the contest at the interval.
Algeria struggled to impose themselves and failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match, despite second-half changes that included the introduction of Baghdad Bounedjah.
Nigeria, by contrast, continued to threaten, with Adams later striking the post and other efforts narrowly missing the target.
Iwobi was outstanding in midfield, orchestrating play with vision and composure, while Calvin Bassey marshalled the defence with authority.
Although Wilfred Ndidi picked up a yellow card that could pose a concern ahead of the semi-final, Nigeria’s backline remained resolute. Late substitutions, including Moses Simon, helped the Super Eagles see out the contest comfortably.
The victory sends Nigeria into the last four to face tournament hosts Morocco in what promises to be a blockbuster semi-final.
With their attack clicking and confidence high, the Super Eagles appear well placed to mount a serious challenge for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title.
