Eagles Vs Foxes Revenge or Consolidation?

Today’s AFCON quarter-final encounter between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Desert Foxes of Algeria in the 45,000-capacity Grand Stade de Marrakech will no doubt be very explosive, considering the rivalry between the two countries at the biennial competition. The Marrakech confrontation will be the 23rd senior-level meeting between both teams since their first clash at the 2nd All-Africa Games in Lagos 55 years ago. With the last-minute goal from Riyad Mahrez that knocked out the three-time African champions of the 2019 edition still fresh in the memories of many Nigerian fans, nothing short of a revenge will be pleasing to soccer loving Nigerians

Matches between Nigeria and Algeria over the years have often been dramatic, producing surprising results, late twists, memorable comebacks and standout performances from top players.

The game in Marrakech will mark the 10th time both countries are meeting at the Africa Cup of Nations. Out of the previous nine encounters, Nigeria have won three, Algeria have won four, while two ended in draws.

One of the draws was the controversial Bouake match in 1984, where both teams were accused of deliberately playing out a scoreless draw to qualify for the semi-finals and knock out defending champions Ghana.

Nigeria beat Algeria to win their first AFCON title at home in 1980. Ten years later, Algeria returned the favour by defeating Nigeria to win their first AFCON title on home soil.

Ahead of today’s 35th Africa Cup of Nations between the Super Eagles and the Desert Warriors, ‘Son of the Devil and Algeria captain, Riyad Mahrez has admitted that his side’s clash with Nigeria won’t be easy.

According to Mahrez, anything is possible when Algeria tackles Nigeria in today’s quarterfinal tie.

The last time Nigeria and Algeria met at the AFCON was in the 2019 edition, it was Mahrez’s dramatic last-minute free-kick in the semifinal that knocked the Super Eagles out of the tournament.

Speaking after Algeria defeated DR Congo in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, Mahrez told reporters that the North Africans know Nigeria well.

“Nigeria? We know them well, the match won’t be easy,” the former Leicester City player, said.

“Another last-minute free kick? We will see, anything is possible.”

Meanwhile, one of the team’s standout players so far, Samuel Chukwueze has said the Super Eagles are fully focused and determined to win the competition.

Chukwueze, who plies his trade with Fulham in England, was one of Nigeria’s standout performers during the group stage. The winger provided two assists in the Super Eagles’ 3-1 victory over Uganda.

Chukwueze highlighted the unity, depth, and mental readiness within the squad.

“We are very calm and we know we are ready to face any team. The players from the bench, everybody is ready to give everything. It doesn’t matter who will play,” he said.

The 25-year-old emphasised that the team’s mindset has been consistent throughout the tournament, pointing to their collective ambition.

“You can see in the last three games the team is ready to push to our goal, which is the AFCON title,” Chukwueze added.

As a way of boosting the Super Eagles for today’s confrontation with the Foxes, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite confirms that the team match bonuses are on track.

Uzoka-Anite provided an update on X on Thursday, detailing the steps taken to ensure that players receive their entitlements without delay.

“I am pleased to provide an update on the administrative progress regarding the match bonuses for our national team at AFCON 2025,” she wrote. “The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay. Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice.”

Interestingly, the chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, had earlier clarified that all financial entitlements for the Super Eagles were approved and in process.

“The president approved the entire AFCON budget on November 14, 2025. From our end, the funding has been fully cleared,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria.

He added that discussions with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), team captain, co-captain, and senior players had ensured clarity on tournament bonuses.

“We sat down, negotiated and agreed on what the players are entitled to up to the final. Everybody is clear,” Dikko said.

With both the NSC and the Finance Ministry coordinating closely, the Super Eagles have now focused fully on maintaining their unbeaten run and pursuing AFCON glory.

Both countries, with five African titles between them, will throw everything into the encounter as they seek a place in the last-4 of perhaps the biggest and most glamorous AFCON tournament in the competition’s 69-year history.

Both teams have been landlords elsewhere. The Eagles flew from Fès – where they had played all their group phase and Round of 16 matches – to Marrakech on Thursday afternoon, while the Fennecs also had to travel from Rabat, where they also played all their previous four games.

Nigeria’s twin-terrors, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, and new face Akor Adams, who is highly motivated by his first AFCON goal against Mozambique in the Round of 16 and the steady recuperation of his mother, look too hot to handle for the 1990 and 2019 champions.

Osimhen and Lookman were the driving force behind Nigeria’s runner-up accomplishment in Cote d’Ivoire two years ago, and have proved equally impactful here with each netting three goals.

However, the truth is that the Fennecs have their own pack of match-winners, who have proven over the years to be highly dependable and can eke out a result when it is least expected.

Baghdad Bounedjah scored the only goal of the 2019 Final against Senegal in Cairo, which handed Algeria their second AFCON trophy, and has remained one of the most potent strikers in the history of the Fennecs.

Captain Riyad Mahrez has turned out to be as brutally efficient as Rabah Madjer, (who carried the nation on his shoulders as the North African country hosted and won the AFCON trophy in 1990), Lakhdar Belloumi and the nifty Abdelhafid Tasfaout.

Ismael Bennacer is another tricky customer, though he operates from the midfield, and defender Ramy Bensebaini, who scored the only goal when the Fennecs pipped Nigeria in a friendly in Austria in October 2020.

Adil Boulbina netted the scorcher that ended the hopes of Leopards of DR Congo, and the Super Eagles must also beware of midfielders Ibrahim Maza and Hicham Boudaoui, as well as striker Anis Hadj-Moussa.

Nonetheless, Nigeria has looked very capable in this championship, with the group playing with purpose, grit, pride and passion, and captain Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi have delivered energetically and with panache.

Osimhen’s brace against Mozambique took him within three goals of Nigeria’s all-time record of 37 goals, and Lookman now has six AFCON goals, with his brace against Cameroon and strike against Angola in the knockout rounds of the last competition in Cote d’Ivoire. Both forwards will be eager to add to their tally here.

Paul Onuachu is galvanized by his strike against Uganda in the group phase, turning out to be the 150th AFCON goal for Nigeria, and could play some part in today’s duel.

The winner of the encounter will take on the winner of the second semi-final, between Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions and Morocco’s Atlas Lions, which took place yesterday in Rabat.