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Ed Dove
FES, Morocco — An opening goal by Ademola Lookman, along with two goals from Victor Osimhen and a powerful late strike from Akor Adams, propelled Nigeria to a convincing 4-0 victory over Mozambique, advancing them into the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations on a rainy day in Fes.
The Super Eagles will now head to Marrakesh for their quarterfinal clash on Saturday, facing either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who play in Rabat on Tuesday.
Lookman opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a roof-raising finish from an assist by Adams, followed shortly by Osimhen’s close-range goal five minutes later to double the lead.
Osimhen scored again just after halftime, putting Eric Chelle’s team comfortably ahead.
Adams then added a fourth goal, matching Nigeria’s record for the most goals in a single AFCON tournament, tying their total of 12 from the 2000 edition, making a strong statement regarding their championship ambitions.
Throughout the match, Nigeria showcased their creativity, attacking prowess, and overall inventiveness—factors that propelled them to finish as the tournament’s leading scorers in the group stage.
From the outset, the match was one-sided, with Bruno Langa clearing a shot off the line in the sixth minute, as Semi Ajayi aimed a powerful header from Lookman’s corner.
It didn’t take long for Nigeria to break the deadlock; in the 20th minute, Alex Iwobi delivered a pinpoint pass to Adams, who was making a run down the left flank.
From there, Lookman converted a cross into a goal. His precise finish evaded Mozambique’s goalkeeper Ernan Siluane.
Lookman again turned provider for Nigeria’s second goal; exploiting spaces on Mozambique’s flank, he delivered another cross that was slightly deflected by Adams, allowing Osimhen to find the ball at the back post and extend the lead, giving Nigeria strong control over the match.
Chances continued to come for Nigeria before halftime, with Siluane preventing a strike from Adams, while Wilfred Ndidi shot over from the rebound, and Iwobi misfired from a free-kick situation.
Just before halftime, Adams nearly scored when he capitalized on a misfortune for Renildo Mandava, but his shot veered just wide of the goal.
The second half saw Nigeria double their lead almost immediately. A Mozambique substitution at right fullback may have left them exposed, as Lookman sped down the left side and crossed the ball, which Siluane failed to intercept, allowing Osimhen to tap home easily in the 47th minute.
Throughout the half, Nigeria maintained pressure, with Lookman consistently involved; he shot wide in the 57th minute as Mozambique struggled defensively.
Adams forced Siluane into a superb save shortly thereafter, but the striker finally found his scoring touch at the tournament, smashing the ball past the beleaguered goalkeeper following another assist from Lookman.
With Siluane suffering an injury, his replacement Ivane Urrubal made a crucial save from Moses Simon, while Raphael Onyedika missed a chance to increase the tally in the closing minutes, firing over the bar after scoring twice against Uganda.
Substitutions from Chelle brought fresh energy to the squad and despite a minor disagreement between Osimhen and Lookman, Nigeria’s commanding performance in this knockout match set a standard as they advance forward.