Super Eagles crush Mozambique 4-0, march into AFCON quarter-finals
Nigeria's Super Eagles demolished Mozambique 4-0 on Tuesday, January 5, 2026, in Fez to secure their place in the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals. Victor Osimhen scored a brace, while Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams added one each in Nigeria's biggest win of the tournament so far. The victory marked Nigeria's fourth consecutive win while maintaining a perfect defensive record.
Alex Iwobi orchestrated play from midfield with precision passing and pre-assists, silencing critics of his Super Eagles performances. The Fulham midfielder combined effectively with Frank Onyeka, allowing Nigeria's attacking stars to flourish. Lookman, who already has four assists to match Osimhen's three goals, terrorized Mozambique's defense with pace and trickery throughout the match.
For the first time in the tournament, Nigeria kept a clean sheet. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali faced minimal threat as Calvin Bassey and Samuel Ajayi formed an impenetrable defensive wall, denying Mozambique any shot on target. Akor Adams earned his start with relentless pressing and versatility, capping his performance with Nigeria's fourth goal.
A minor controversy surfaced when Osimhen and Lookman exchanged words on the pitch, with the Galatasaray forward later storming off after being substituted. Lookman dismissed any rift, but the incident briefly threatened to overshadow the dominant performance.
Nigeria now awaits the winner of Saturday's Algeria vs DR Congo clash. A matchup against Algeria would offer revenge for their 2019 semi-final heartbreak, while DR Congo would mean a rematch of their World Cup play-off defeat. The quarter-final kicks off Saturday.