Nigeria booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Algeria at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Saturday, setting up a mouth-watering clash with hosts Morocco.
The opening 45 minutes produced a tense and evenly balanced contest, but the second half belonged entirely to Nigeria. Just two minutes after the restart, Bruno Onyemaechi delivered a deep cross from the left flank which Victor Osimhen met with a powerful header, steering the ball low into the net beyond Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane.
Ten minutes later, the Galatasaray striker turned provider. Alex Iwobi split the Desert Foxes’ defence with a delightful pass, releasing Osimhen in behind before he unselfishly squared the ball across goal for Akor Adams, who rounded Zidane and calmly slotted into an empty net in the 57th minute.
Algeria struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the match. The Desert Foxes’ difficulties were evident as they failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes, a testament to Nigeria’s defensive organisation and attacking superiority.
The result extends an impressive run at AFCON 2025 for coach Eric Chelle, confirming the Super Eagles’ status as one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking teams. For the Franco-Malian tactician, this semi-final berth represents a form of redemption. At the last AFCON in 2023 (held in early 2024 in Ivory Coast), Chelle guided Mali to the quarter-finals, only to suffer a devastating last-gasp defeat to the eventual champions. The viral image of Chelle crouching and wiping away tears as an assistant doused the back of his neck with water became one of that tournament’s most memorable and poignant moments. He later revealed the water was necessary due to dizziness and rising blood pressure following previous cardiac surgery.
Now, having taken charge of Nigeria in January 2025 and navigated them through a perfect group stage with 12 goals scored, Chelle has surpassed his previous AFCON achievement. The transformation has been remarkable—from the agony of that Bouaké heartbreak to the cusp of an AFCON final with one of Africa’s most illustrious national teams. Nigerian fans, initially sceptical of appointing what some termed “a French Ligue 2 veteran,” have been won over by his attacking philosophy and tactical acumen.
For the North Africans, who were forced to play extra time in their round of 16 victory over DR Congo earlier in the week, this marks a disappointing end to their campaign. Despite their pedigree, the Desert Foxes never truly threatened to overturn Nigeria’s dominance.
Wednesday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat will see the Super Eagles face the Atlas Lions of Morocco in what promises to be a fiercely competitive semi-final.
Runners-up at the 2024 AFCON, Nigeria arrived in Morocco determined to go one better this time, and now stand just two victories away from lifting their fourth continental crown.
