Nigeria booked a comfortable place in the quarter-finals with a commanding 4–0 victory over Mozambique at the Fez Stadium, producing one of their most convincing performances of the tournament.
The Super Eagles took control early and were rewarded in the 20th minute when Ademola Lookman finished emphatically from close range after being set up by Akor Adams.
The pressure continued to build, and five minutes later Victor Osimhen doubled the lead, reacting quickest in the box to convert Adams’ deflected assist and give Nigeria a firm grip on the contest before the break.
The pressure continued to build, and five minutes later Victor Osimhen doubled the lead, reacting quickest in the box to convert Adams’ deflected assist and give Nigeria a firm grip on the contest before the break.
Nigeria resumed the second half with the same intensity, and Osimhen struck again two minutes after the restart, this time turning in Lookman’s delivery from close range to make it three.
The goal effectively ended any lingering resistance from the Mambas, who struggled to cope with Nigeria’s pace and movement.
Akor Adams capped a fine individual display in the 75th minute, racing clear on the counter-attack and firing into the top corner following another assist from Lookman to complete the rout and underline Nigeria’s attacking depth.
The win marked Nigeria’s 18th participation in the direct knockout rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations and extended their record of consistency, as this is their 16th successive appearance beyond the group stage. The Super Eagles last failed to progress from the groups in 1982.
Eric Chelle’s side arrived at the knockout phase with a perfect group-stage record, having defeated Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, and the emphatic nature of this victory will ease concerns stemming from past tournaments where similar starts ended prematurely.
Nigeria also moved onto 62 Africa Cup of Nations victories overall, the second highest tally in the competition’s history, behind only Egypt who defeated Benin earlier in the day to extend their record.
With four more goals added to their tally, Nigeria have now scored eleven times in the tournament, making them the most prolific side so far. They have also found the net in each of their last 11 matches at the AFCON, extending their longest scoring run in the competition.
The result sends Nigeria into the quarter-finals for the 12th time, a stage they have failed to reach only once since its introduction in 1992.
They will next face either Algeria or DR Congo, with the prospect of a semi-final meeting against hosts Morocco or five-time champions Cameroon looming should they continue their impressive form.
