The Match
Nigeria defeated Algeria 2-0 in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final at Grand Stade de Marrakech on January 10, 2026. Victor Osimhen scored the opening goal in the 47th minute, two minutes into the second half, heading in a cross from Bruno Onyemaechi at the back post. Akor Adams added Nigeria's second goal in the 57th minute after Osimhen released him behind Algeria's defense, allowing Adams to round goalkeeper Luca Zidane and finish into an empty net.
Nigeria dominated possession and created multiple scoring opportunities throughout the match. In the 28th minute, Ramy Bensebaini cleared off the line from Calvin Bassey, with VAR reviewing whether the ball had fully crossed the goal line. Adams missed a clear chance in the 37th minute, lifting his shot over Zidane's bar when through on goal. In the 82nd minute, Adams headed against the post after Osimhen set him up.
Algeria had been forced to play 120 minutes in their round of 16 match against Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday, while Nigeria had a comfortable 4-0 victory over Mozambique on Monday. Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi was substituted in the 69th minute due to injury.
Semi-Final Setup
The victory sets up a semi-final between Nigeria and host nation Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday, January 15, 2026. Morocco advanced to the semi-final by defeating Cameroon 2-0, with goals from Brahim Díaz and Ismael Saibari. Nigeria finished as runners-up at the 2024 AFCON in Ivory Coast and seek their fourth continental title, having last won in 2013. Morocco seeks to end a 50-year wait for an AFCON crown.
Nigeria leads the tournament in total goals scored with 14. Osimhen has scored four goals in his last four AFCON matches after going seven previous Cup of Nations games without finding the net. Adams has scored in consecutive matches, with two goals in two games.
Tournament Context
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is being hosted in Morocco across nine venues in six cities. Nigeria have reached the semi-finals 17 times in the last 20 tournaments they have qualified for. Algeria entered the tournament as two-time AFCON champions, having won in 1990 and 2019. Nigeria are three-time champions, with titles in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
The head-to-head record between the nations shows Algeria with 10 wins, Nigeria with nine wins, and three draws across 22 previous encounters. Algeria have been particularly successful against Nigeria at AFCON, winning four and drawing two of nine tournament meetings, including a 5-1 victory in 1990 when Algeria won the tournament on home soil.
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