MATCH STATS: Nigeria vs Morocco – TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Semi-final

Nigeria are bidding for a fourth TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations title and will face hosts Morocco searching for their first trophy win since 1976, in the semi-finals of the 2025 edition at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 14 January at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT).

Both teams are undefeated with Nigeria winning all five of their games, while Morocco have recorded four wins and a draw.

They meet at the Africa Cup of Nations for the sixth time, with all five previous AFCON meetings producing a winner.

This is their first meeting in 22 years at AFCON and the second time they face each other in an AFCON Semi-final.

Four of their previous five AFCON meetings came in the group stages in 1976 (two games), 2000 and 2004.

They first met at AFCON in 1976 in the group stages, with Morocco winning both matches 3-1 and 2-1 on their way to their first and only title.

This is their second meeting in the Semi-finals. Nigeria won the previous clash in 1980, triumphing 1-0 with Felix Owolabi scoring the winner in the 9th minute en route to their first title.

They met again in 2000 when Nigeria eliminated Morocco in their final Group D game with a 2-0 victory, with Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa scoring for the Super Eagles.

Their last AFCON meeting came in the group stages in 2004, when Morocco won 1-0 in their opening Group D match, Youssef Hadji scoring the only goal in the 77th minute.

Nigeria have faced the host or co-host nation on ten previous occasions, with their record against hosts reading P10 W3 D3 L4.

Nigeria meet AFCON hosts for a second tournament in a row, having faced Côte d’Ivoire in the group stages and the final in 2023, winning 1-0 in the group stage and losing 2-1 in the final.

Nigeria also defeated tournament hosts in 2002, winning the third-place match against Mali 1-0, and recorded a group-stage win over Senegal in 1992 by a 2-1 scoreline.

Nigeria have lost four times against hosts: twice against Algeria in 1990 (group stage and final), as well as defeats to Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals and Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Final.

Nigeria have drawn three times against hosts: in 1978 against Ghana, in 2002 against Mali in the group stages, and in 2004 against Tunisia in the Semi-finals (1-1), before losing on penalties.

In the knockout rounds at AFCON, Nigeria have faced hosts five times, winning only once against Mali in the 2002 third-place match. They have lost three times in open play against Algeria in the 1990 Final, Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals and Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Final, and lost on penalties to Tunisia in 2004.

This is Nigeria’s third direct knockout match against a host team, having previously lost to Tunisia on penalties in the 2004 Semi-finals and to Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals.

Overall, this is their 12th meeting, with Morocco holding the upper hand with six wins to Nigeria’s three, with two draws.

Both draws ended 0-0 and came in qualification for the 1984 AFCON in the second round over two legs, with Nigeria progressing after winning a penalty shoot-out following a goalless aggregate.

Seven of the 11 goals scored in their previous five AFCON meetings have come in the second half.

PAST MEETINGS

OVERALL
Nigeria: P11 W3 D2 L6 GF8 GA14 GD-6Morocco: P11 W6 D2 L3 GF14 GA8 GD+6

AFCON ONLY
Nigeria: P5 W2 D0 L3 GF5 GA6 GD-1Morocco: P5 W3 D0 L2 GF6 GA5 GD+1

PAST AFCON MEETINGS
1976, Group A – First Group Stage, 6 March 1976Morocco 3 (Faras 8’, Tazi 19’, Chebbak 81’) Nigeria 1 (Ojebode 81’)

1976, Final Round, 11 March 1976Morocco 2 (Faras 82’, Guezzar 87’) Nigeria 1 (Mohammed 57’)

1980, Semi-finals, 19 March 1980Nigeria 1 (Owolabi 9’) Morocco 0

2000, Group D, 3 February 2000Nigeria 2 (George 28’, Aghahowa 81’) Morocco 0

2004, Group D, 27 January 2004Nigeria 0 Morocco 1 (Hadji 77’)

Nigeria – Key Statistics

·       Defeated Algeria 2-0 in the Quarter-finals to reach the last four.

·       Have scored at least two goals in each of their five games, the first time they have done so at AFCON.

·       Have scored at least two goals in five matches at a single AFCON for only the second time, also doing so in 2000.

·       Along with Egypt in 1974 and 2010, are only the second team to score at least two goals in each of their first five matches at AFCON.

·       Have scored 14 goals at the current finals, their highest tally at a single edition.

·       The last team to score 14 goals at an AFCON was Cameroon in 2021.

·       Have scored in their last 12 AFCON matches, last failing to score in the Round of 16 loss to Tunisia in 2021.

·       Have scored in five matches at the current finals, last scoring in six successive games in 2013.

·       Have won five successive AFCON matches for the first time.

·       Have won five matches at an AFCON for the second time, along with 2019.

·       Have never won six matches in a row or six matches at a single AFCON edition.

·       Have won both of their knockout matches at AFCON 2025; last won three knockout matches in succession in 2013.

·       The 2013 edition is the only time they have won three knockout matches in open play.

·       Will contest a record-extending 16th AFCON Semi-final.

·       First appeared in an AFCON Semi-final in 1978, losing 2-1 to Uganda.

·       Under the 24-team AFCON format, only Senegal (2019, 2021, 2025) and Nigeria (2019, 2023, 2025) have reached three Semi-finals.

·       Semi-final record reads P15 W8 L7, with the 1976 edition played over two group stages.

·       Of their eight Semi-final wins, four have been in open play and four on penalties.

·       Of their seven eliminations, six were in open play and one on penalties.

·       No team has failed to progress from more AFCON Semi-finals than Nigeria.

·       Victory would see Nigeria reach a ninth AFCON Final and their second consecutive finals after 1988 and 1990.

·       Would draw level with Ghana on nine AFCON Final appearances.

·       Since 2013, only Egypt, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire have reached multiple finals along with Nigeria.

·       Previous AFCON Final appearances: 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994, 2000 and 2013.

·       Would reach a final in North Africa for the fourth time.

·       Fifth Semi-final appearance in their last six AFCON participations.

·       Lost Semi-finals in 2010 and 2019, won in 2013 and 2023.

·       Have missed the Semi-finals only three times in 20 AFCON appearances (1982, 2008, 2021).

·       Have contested eight penalty shoot-outs at AFCON, winning six.

·       Five of those shoot-outs came in the Semi-finals.

·       Joint-most penalty shoot-out wins at AFCON (six), alongside Egypt.

·       Penalty shoot-out losses came in the 2000 Final and 2004 Semi-finals.

·       Won their first three AFCON shoot-outs in 1984, 1988 and 1994.

·       Have only played one AFCON Final decided by penalties (2000).

·       Have won their last three AFCON penalty shoot-outs.

·       Won four Semi-finals in open play (1980, 1990, 2000, 2013).

·       Lost four Semi-finals in open play (1978, 1992, 2002, 2019).

·       Victor Osimhen has four goals at the current tournament, the most by a Nigerian since Odion Ighalo in 2019.

·       Osimhen has 10 AFCON goal involvements (5 goals, 5 assists).

·       Osimhen has scored three knockout goals, becoming the fifth Nigerian to do so at a single edition.

·       Nigeria have never lost an AFCON match in which Osimhen scored or assisted (W5 D2).

·       Nigeria did not face a shot on target against Algeria.

·       Have a shot conversion rate of 21%, the best at the tournament.

Morocco – Key Statistics

·       Defeated Cameroon 1-0 to reach the Semi-finals for the first time since 2004.

·       Reached the Quarter-finals for the fifth time and won at that stage for only the second time.

·       Have taken their all-time AFCON goal tally to 96.

·       Are appearing in the Semi-finals for the fifth time (1980, 1986, 1988, 2004, 2025).

·       Are hosts in the Semi-finals for the second time, after 1988.

·       Have won only one of their previous three Semi-finals (2004).

·       Lost successive Semi-finals in 1986 and 1988.

·       Lost their first Semi-final appearance in 1980 to hosts Nigeria.

·       All teams that previously eliminated Morocco in a Semi-final went on to win the title.

·       Victory would take them to a second final and their first in over 21 years.

·       All Semi-finals have been decided in open play.

·       All three Semi-final losses were by 1-0 scorelines.

·       Victory would see them become the second successive host nation to reach the final.

·       Would become the 15th host nation to reach an AFCON Final.

·       Have kept four clean-sheets at the current finals, their most at a single edition.

·       Yassine Bounou is the first Moroccan goalkeeper to keep four clean-sheets at AFCON.

·       Have won four matches at the current edition, their most since 2004.

·       Have won their last three AFCON matches.

·       Brahim Díaz has scored five goals, the first player to score in five matches since 2021.

·       Díaz is one goal shy of Ahmed Faras’ AFCON record for Morocco.

·       Morocco have scored five set-piece goals, more than any other team.

·       Walid Regragui is leading Morocco into his second major Semi-final.

·       A win would see Morocco reach their third senior CAF final in under a year.