Super Eagles: Stats EXPOSE how Algeria will target Nigeria in AFCON 2025 QF

The Super Eagles, going into their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) quarter-final against Algeria on January 10, are slight favourites to advance to the final four.

It is not difficult to see why. The three-time African champions are the tournament’s leading scorers, having netted 12 times so far in Morocco. Last time out, all of their front three were on the scoresheet as they hammered Mozambique; with two of the last three CAF Player of the Year winners in their ranks, it is no mystery that Nigeria boast the most feared frontline arguably on the continent.

What a FOURMIDABLE performance 🇳🇬🦅

pic.twitter.com/F0ZogoSzwg

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 6, 2026

That said, in Algeria, they will come up against the competition’s best defence. Les Fennecs have only conceded a single goal to this point in the competition, a testament to their fortitude at the back. Unstoppable force against immovable object: both sides will no doubt test one another in unprecedented ways come Saturday.

The onus, however, will be on the North African side to find a means of stifling Nigeria’s possession-heavy style. While they carry a threat in the form of Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Amoura, they have been far from flowing, and so will doubtless be happy to concede the ball. How, then, can they hope to keep Victor Osimhen, Akor Adams and Ademola Lookman quiet for at least 90 minutes? 

How will Algeria set out to nullify the Super Eagles?

While the styles of the respective sides are well known, there is an interesting statistical quirk that reveals exactly how Algeria will seek to shut down Nigeria. It is this: at AFCON 2025 as a whole, the Super Eagles have suffered the least fouls of any team.

This is an oddity because, as has been established, Eric Chelle’s side prioritise possession. In fact, they have the third-highest average possession, which should correlate to fouls suffered. That has not been the case, though; in part due to the fact that three of Nigeria’s four opponents up to this point in the tournament are in the bottom eight for fouls committed. They have tended to be passive in their approach without the ball, and this has allowed the Super Eagles to wreak havoc.

The one opponent to buck this trend was Tunisia, who by themselves accounted for 40 percent of Nigeria’s total foul suffered. It is no coincidence, then, that they cause Chelle and his men the most problems so far, albeit with a bit of aid from the French-Malian’s questionable in-game management. 

Regardless, this points the way for Algeria to follow come Saturday, and they will be all too happy to do so. As it happens, the 2019 AFCON winners are joint-second, with Nigeria, for fouls committed: rather than it being a bespoke strategy to combat the Super Eagles, physicality is a ploy they are already versed in.

The meeting in Marrakesh, then, promises to be bruising, riveting viewing.