Lightning Strikes: Nigeria's Second-Half Surge Disms Algeria in AFCON Quarterfinal
10 January 2026
Second-half onslaught seals win
Nigeria stunned Algeria by striking twice in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, advancing to the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals on Saturday night.
Luca Zidane, Algeria's goalkeeper, had kept a clean sheet through the first half.
The opener arrived in the 47th minute when Victor Osimhen finished a well-worked move to break the deadlock.
Seven minutes later, Akor Adams doubled the lead, piercing the defense and breaking Luca's resolve.
Luca Zidane is the son of French legend Zinedine Zidane and had been enjoying a string of AFCON clean sheets before this match.
Prior to this game, Algeria had conceded only once in the tournament, with Antony Mandrea starring in a 3-1 win over Equatorial Guinea, not Luca.
Nigeria's victory leaves Algeria with a tough exit, while the Nigerians march on with momentum.
Punchlines: If football were a shopping mall, the ball would have picked the best corner for Nigeria; and Luca Zidane might need a bigger trophy room after this performance.
