Nigeria produced one of their most complete performances at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday night, sweeping aside Mozambique 4–0 in their Round of 16 encounter at the Stade de Fès to book a place in the quarter-finals.
The Super Eagles arrived in Fès in confident mood after a perfect group-stage campaign, and they wasted little time asserting their authority against a Mozambique side making their first appearance in the knockout rounds of the competition.
Nigeria dominated possession from the start, pressing high and forcing mistakes from the Mambas’ back line.
Their early intent was rewarded in the 20th minute when Ademola Lookman opened the scoring.
The winger timed his run perfectly to meet a flowing attacking move and calmly placed the ball beyond goalkeeper Siluane.
Mozambique struggled to contain Nigeria’s pace and movement, particularly down the flanks.
Just five minutes later, Victor Osimhen doubled the lead. The Galatasaray forward reacted quickest inside the penalty area, tapping home from close range after Lookman delivered a teasing cross.
Osimhen thought he had scored earlier in the half, but his effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.
The setback did little to slow Nigeria’s momentum as they continued to dictate the rhythm of the game.
Mozambique offered brief resistance through Geny and Faizal, but their attacks were comfortably dealt with by the Super Eagles defence.
Nigeria resumed the second half with the same intensity and quickly extended their lead. Two minutes after the restart, Osimhen struck again, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to make it 3–0 and effectively end the contest.
With the match under control, head coach Eric Chelle introduced fresh legs to maintain energy levels. The changes allowed Nigeria to keep possession, limit Mozambique’s chances, and continue to threaten on the break.
The fourth goal arrived in the 75th minute when Akor Adams registered his name on the scoresheet after putting in a good shift all through.
Mozambique, to their credit, continued to push forward in search of a consolation goal, but Nigeria’s defensive structure remained solid.
Nwabali commanded his area confidently, while Wilfred Ndidi anchored the midfield with authority.
As the final whistle sounded, Nigeria celebrated a comfortable victory that underlined their growing status as one of the tournament favourites.
The Super Eagles are the first team to score four goals in a match at the AFCON 2025.
The clean sheet was another positive sign for Chelle’s side, who have now won all their matches at the competition.
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, where they would face either Algeria or Congo DR.
