Monday, January 5, 2026

Nigeria sweep aside Mozambique to march into AFCON quarter-finals

FES,  Morocco 

Nigeria booked their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 with an emphatic 4–0 victory over Mozambique, easing through the round of 16 without ever needing to hit top gear.

The Super Eagles will face either Algeria or DR Congo in the last eight, with that tie to be decided on Tuesday.

The intent from Nigeria was clear from the opening moments. Victor Osimhen thought he had given his side an early lead in the second minute, only for VAR to rule the effort out for offside. The early warning proved decisive, however, as Nigeria continued to press with confidence and control.

The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute when Ademola Lookman finished calmly to put Nigeria ahead. Five minutes later, Osimhen made no mistake this time, doubling the lead with a composed finish after finding space inside the box. The two-goal advantage at half-time accurately reflected Nigeria’s dominance.

There was no let-up after the restart. Lookman turned provider in the 47th minute, setting up Osimhen to complete his brace and effectively end the contest.

Mozambique struggled to gain a foothold, with winger Geny Catamo kept quiet by a disciplined Nigerian defence marshalled superbly by Calvin Bassey.

Nigeria added further gloss to the scoreline in the 70th minute when Akor Adams struck the fourth, having earlier contributed two assists. It capped a commanding display as the Super Eagles recorded their fourth straight win of the tournament.

For Mozambique, the fairytale run comes to an end, while Nigeria march on with growing confidence as one of the competition’s standout performers.

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