Nigeria edges Mozambique 2-1 in Africa Cup of Nations match

Nigeria Advances to Quarterfinals of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Nigeria has secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Mozambique 4-0 in their last-16 tie. The match, held in Fes on Monday, saw Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen score twice and Ademola Lookman open the scoring.

Osimhen netted his first goal without wearing his trademark mask before restoring it and scoring again just after half-time. He was assisted by Akor Adams, who sealed the win for Nigeria. The match marked the largest winning margin in an AFCON knockout tie since Egypt defeated Algeria 4-0 in the semifinals at the 2010 tournament.

Nigeria will face either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the quarterfinals on Saturday. A victory for the DRC would give Nigeria a chance to avenge their defeat on penalties against the Leopards in a World Cup qualifying playoff in November.

Mozambique, making their first appearance in the knockout phase of an AFCON, were no match for the Nigerian team, which had made several changes from their final group game. Lookman, who scored in the 3-2 win over Tunisia in the second group match, was among those brought back into the lineup.

The match saw several notable performances, including Osimhen’s goal-scoring streak, which now stands at three goals at the tournament. The Super Eagles will look to continue their momentum as they advance to the next round on Saturday.

Source: Al Jazeera