Nigeria sweep aside Mozambique to march into AFCON quarter-finals

• Nigeria dominated from start to finish in this round-of-16 clash

• Victor Osimhen scored twice, with Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams also on target

• The Super Eagles will learn their quarter-final opponents on Tuesday after Algeria vs DR Congo

Nigeria 4–0 Mozambique
Scorers: Ademola Lookman (20), Victor Osimhen (25, 47), Akor Adams (70)

Nigeria booked their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 with an emphatic 4–0 victory over Mozambique, easing through the round of 16 without ever needing to hit top gear.

The Super Eagles will face either Algeria or DR Congo in the last eight, with that tie to be decided on Tuesday.

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.

The breakthrough arrived 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. Lookman turned provider in the 47th minute, setting up Osimhen to complete his brace and effectively end the contest.

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.

Reactions

Ademola Lookman, Nigeria forward (Man of the match)

“This award is important, but the most important thing for me is the team’s victory. We are playing very well and scoring goals consistently. We have strong attacking qualities, which allow us to create many chances. The team is in good shape, and we will continue to take the tournament one game at a time.”

Eric Chelle, Nigeria head coach

“I’m happy with the victory, of course, but we have to be honest with ourselves. We have done nothing yet. We have simply won one game. If we want to be ambitious, we must continue to improve and maintain this level of quality on the pitch. Football is about consistency. 
Today, I want to give credit to my team. We were very good in possession. We controlled the ball throughout the entire first half. Every time we lost the ball, we applied strong pressure on the opponent. We succeeded because we put in all the right ingredients.”

Chiquinho Conde, Mozambique head coach

“It was an extremely difficult match. We knew we would face challenges, but perhaps not of this magnitude. We came up against a strong opponent with very pragmatic attackers. From the opening minutes, we struggled to retain possession, and the players responsible for controlling the game were unable to perform at their usual level.
I would like to congratulate the Nigerian team, who showed their full strength. These are lessons we must learn from as we continue to grow.”