Super Eagles: Osimhen, Iwobi, Lookman in excelsis as Nigeria set AFCON 2025 quarterfinal date with Mozambique romp

Nigeria’s Super Eagles marched into the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) with a commanding 4-0 victory over Mozambique in Fes on Monday night, a performance that underlined the growing confidence in the Super Eagles camp. 

Eric Chelle’s side settled quickly, controlled the rhythm from midfield, and showed a ruthless edge in the final third as Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen combined brilliantly to dismantle the Mambas’ back line.

Lookman opened the scoring midway through the first half after Akor Adams held up play and rolled a cut-back into his path, the winger guiding the ball beyond the goalkeeper with precision. Moments later, the Atalanta man turned provider, sweeping a low cross across goal for Osimhen to arrive at the near post and double the advantage.

Nigeria resumed after the break with the same intensity, and the pair linked up again almost immediately, Lookman delivering from the flank while Osimhen finished from close range to make it three.

Mozambique struggled to cope with Nigeria’s movement in transition, and Lookman remained the creative spark, sliding another clever pass into Adams’ stride. The striker took a touch and rifled his effort high into the net to seal the result, a fitting reward for his industrious display.

Final Eight 🔐 pic.twitter.com/N9iZch0HQ7

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 5, 2026

Super Eagles await old foes in AFCON 2025 quarterfinal

Osimhen made way in the 68th minute after a brief on-field disagreement, but the result was long secured as the Super Eagles controlled proceedings to the final whistle.

Attention now turns to the next hurdle, where Nigeria will meet the winner of the tie between Algeria and DR Congo. Either opponent brings history and edge. Algeria have edged four of the last eight meetings between the sides, including the dramatic 2019 semifinal decided by Riyad Mahrez’s late free-kick in Cairo. 

DR Congo carry their own psychological weight, with Nigeria’s most recent encounter ending in a penalty shoot-out defeat during the 2026 World Cup playoffs.

The Super Eagles head into the last eight as the only team to win every match inside regulation time at the tournament, their balance of discipline and efficiency making them one of the standout sides in Morocco. 

The quarterfinal comes up on January 10, with momentum and expectation firmly in their corner.