iDeemlawful—Nigeria secured a convincing spot in the quarter-finals after overpowering Mozambique 4–0 at the Fez Stadium, producing one of their most assured displays of the competition.
The Super Eagles asserted themselves early and went ahead in the 20th minute when Ademola Lookman calmly finished from close range following a neat assist by Akor Adams.
Nigeria’s dominance intensified, and five minutes later Victor Osimhen made it two, reacting fastest inside the area to turn in Adams’ deflected pass and put the Eagles firmly in control before halftime.
The second half began in similar fashion, with Osimhen striking again just two minutes after the restart, converting Lookman’s delivery from close range to extend the lead to three.
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The goal effectively extinguished any remaining fight from the Mambas, who found it difficult to contain Nigeria’s speed and fluid movement.
Akor Adams completed an impressive performance in the 75th minute, breaking clear on a counter-attack and smashing a clinical finish into the top corner after yet another assist from Lookman to seal the emphatic victory.
The result marked Nigeria’s 18th appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout rounds and their 16th consecutive progression beyond the group stage. The Super Eagles last exited at the group phase in 1982.
Eric Chelle’s team entered the knockout stage with a flawless group campaign, having overcome Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, and the commanding nature of the win will help allay fears from previous tournaments where strong starts faded.
Nigeria also recorded their 62nd AFCON victory, the second-highest total in the tournament’s history, trailing only Egypt, who earlier defeated Benin to extend their own record.
With four more goals added, Nigeria’s tally now stands at 11 for the tournament, making them the highest scorers so far.
They have also scored in each of their last 11 AFCON matches, extending their longest scoring streak in the competition.
The victory sends the Super Eagles into the quarter-finals for the 12th time, a stage they have missed only once since it was introduced in 1992.
Nigeria will now face either Algeria or DR Congo, with a potential semi-final clash against hosts Morocco or five-time champions Cameroon awaiting if their strong run continues.