* A brace from Victor Osimhen and one each from Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams as the Super Eagles dominated from start to finish of the Round of 16 clash
* A well organised and fearless Benin forced match against Egypt to get into extra time where they lost 1-2 in the other Round of 16 match
Maravi Express
Nigeria booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Mozambique, easing through the Round of 16 without ever needing to hit top gear.
Advertisement
The Super Eagles will face either Algeria or DR Congo in the last eight, with that tie to be decided tonight (18h00) at Stade Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan in Rabat.
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 — with the breakthrough arriving 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 in which Lookman turned provider in the 47th minute, setting up Osimhen to complete his brace and effectively end the contest as 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.
At the Grand Stade d’Agadir, Egypt booked their place in the quarter-finals after defeating Benin 3-1 after extra time — an encounter that remained finely balanced for long periods.
Well organised and fearless, Benin caused Egypt serious problems in the first half. Solid defensively and dangerous on the counter-attack, they relied on the energy of Aloko, Olaitan and Dossou, while goalkeeper Dandjinou produced several crucial saves.
Egypt, despite the presence of Mohamed Salah, struggled to find space and went into the break unable to break the deadlock and after the restart, the Pharaohs gradually increased the tempo.
In the 69th minute, Marwan Attia opened the scoring with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, finishing off a move initiated down the right by Mohamed Salah — but Benin refused to surrender and, in the 83rd minute, Jodel Dossou capitalised on a defensive error to equalise and force extra time.
In the additional time, Egypt’s experience eventually proved decisive. In the 97th minute, Yasser Ibrahim restored Egypt’s lead with a looping header from a cross delivered from the right flank.
Benin attempted to respond, committing their remaining energy forward, but were left exposed late on. In the closing moments of the match, Mohamed Salah put the result beyond doubt by finishing a counter-attack to score Egypt’s third goal and seal the Pharaohs’ qualification.
Composed when it mattered most, Egypt continue their journey in the competition to face winners between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso (21h00) while Benin exit with pride after a courageous display against one of the tournament favourites.—Reporting by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
Advertisement