A 0-2 shocker: Nigeria stuns Algeria to reach AFCON 2025 semi-finals
10 January 2026
Match recap
A lackluster Algeria attack raises questions about the Green's performance against Nigeria as AFCON 2025 continues. The Desert Foxes exit the tournament in Marrakech after a 0-2 quarterfinal defeat to the Super Eagles on Saturday.
The goals came in the second half, with Victor Osimhen netting in the 47th minute and Akor Adams adding a second in the 57th, as Nigeria controlled the game throughout.
Nigeria piled up 13 attempts to Algeria's 3, and the North Africans failed to register a single shot on target.
According to Sofascore, Algeria's subdued attack echoes their 2015 group-stage clash with Ghana, when Asamoah Gyan struck late as Algeria failed to threaten the Ghanaian goal. The memory lingers as the current generation couldn't test the goalkeeper either.
Nigeria advance to face Morocco, the hosts, in the semi-finals on Wednesday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Takeaways
Algeria's performance raises questions about their plan going forward, while Nigeria's frontline clicked when it mattered. The result keeps AFCON 2025 buzzing as we head to Rabat for the next chapter.
Punchline 1: If defense were a pizza, Algeria ordered it without toppings. Punchline 2: Nigeria brought the samba to Marrakech, and Algeria left with the souvenir—the silence of a goalless night.
