Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams got the goals as Nigeria cruised to a dominant 2-0 win over Algeria in their quarterfinal clash at the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco.
The Super Eagles suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Desert Warriors in their last AFCON meeting at the 2019 semifinal, but got their revenge this time around to book their spot in the last four.
Both sides had won all four of their matches heading into the clash at the Stade de Marrakesh, but it was certain one team would lose for the first time and crash out of the competition.
The game started at a slow pace, but Nigeria took control of proceedings and started to exert their dominance on the encounter.
Ademola Lookman had an attempt that was saved by Luca Zidane, while Victor Osimhen was denied by a goal saving challenge by Ait-Nouri.
There was a VAR check for a possible goal after Calvin Bassey had an effort cleared off the line, but the goal was not given as the ball had not entirely crossed the goal line.
Bruno Onyemaechi also had a free kick saved as Nigeria dominated the first half, while Algeria failed to muster an attempt.
The deadlock was broken two minutes into the second half as a sumptuous cross from Onyemaechi was met by Osimhen, who produced a great jump and headed past Zidane.
The former Napoli striker turned provider few minutes later, passing for Akor Adams who rounded Zidane before slotting into an empty net to give the Super Eagles a two-goal advantage.
Adams struck the post late on, while Algeria finished the game without an effort on target, as Nigeria claimed an emphatic 2-0 win.
The three-time champions progressed to the semifinal where they will face the host nations – Morocco, who defeated Cameroon 2-0 a day earlier.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
