Last AFCON runners-up Nigeria took another confident step towards their first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title since 2013 after ending Mozambique’s fairytale run with a dominant 4-0 victory in the round of 16, Softfootball reports.
The Super Eagles arrived in the knockout stage with momentum firmly on their side, having qualified alongside Algeria as the only teams with a perfect winning record in the group phase. That authority was evident from the first whistle against a Mozambique side making their AFCON knockout debut, as Nigeria controlled proceedings throughout.
Victor Osimhen thought he had given Nigeria an early lead inside two minutes, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside. Alex Iwobi soon tested the goalkeeper, while several other Nigerian attempts were blocked as pressure mounted. The breakthrough eventually arrived after 20 minutes when Ademola Lookman fired a precise finish into the top corner from inside the box, netting his third goal of the tournament.
Nigeria doubled their advantage just five minutes later. Lookman was again at the heart of it, delivering a teasing cross that Akor Adams cleverly flicked on for Osimhen to tap into an empty net at the back post. Osimhen then went close to adding another with a glancing header wide, while Wilfred Ndidi fired off target from range. Mozambique’s best opening came when Faisal Bangal headed wide from close range, a missed opportunity that summed up their difficult evening.
Interestingly, CAF via its official X handle, shared the celebrations of the Super Eagles of Nigeria after scoring their second goal of the night courtesy Victor Osimhen close range finish. They posted:
Éric Chelle’s men, unbeaten in their previous six meetings with Mozambique, showed no signs of easing up after the break. Osimhen grabbed his second of the night as Lookman once again provided the assist, threading a perfect cross to the back post for a simple finish. Bright Osayi-Samuel threatened to add a fourth soon after, while Ernan Siluane was kept busy as Nigeria continued to pour forward.
The scoring was eventually wrapped up when Akor Adams capped an impressive display by skipping past his marker and smashing a powerful strike into the near top corner following a lay-off from Lookman. It marked Nigeria’s joint-biggest AFCON victory, matching their 4-0 win over South Africa in 2004.
Meanwhile, CAF via its official X handle, shared the goal celebration of striker Akor Adams with his teammates after scoring super eagles fourth goal and his first goal of the competition. They posted:
With this emphatic result, Nigeria now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the highly anticipated showdown between Algeria and DR Congo, set to take place tomorrow in a high-stakes encounter.
