AFCON 2025 Round of 16: Super Eagles Set for Mozambique Showdown

Spread the love

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take on Mozambique in the Round of 16 at the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The knockout encounter is scheduled for Monday, January 5, with kick-off set for 8:00pm at the 35,000-capacity Complexe Sportif de Fès. The venue is already familiar ground for the Super Eagles, having hosted all three of Nigeria’s Group C fixtures.

Nigeria head into the last-16 clash in high spirits after an impressive group-stage campaign. The three-time African champions recorded a perfect run, winning all three matches, scoring eight goals and conceding four.

Ademola Lookman and Raphael Onyedika both scored twice during the group phase, while Semi Ajayi, Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Paul Onuachu also found the back of the net.

Mozambique’s journey to the knockout stage was far more challenging. The Mambas began with a loss to defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, bounced back with a crucial win over Gabon, and then suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Cameroon on Wednesday night.

Historically, the odds favour Nigeria. The Super Eagles have faced Mozambique five times at senior level, winning four of those encounters. Their only previous AFCON meeting came in January 2010 in Lubango, Angola, where Nigeria secured a convincing 3-0 victory.

Other meetings include a 1-0 friendly win in Maputo in 1999, a 3-2 friendly victory in Portugal in October 2023, and two 2009 World Cup qualifiers that ended 0-0 in Maputo and 1-0 in Abuja. The Abuja fixture was settled by a dramatic stoppage-time goal from Obinna Nsofor, keeping Nigeria’s World Cup hopes alive.

AFCON 2025 Round of 16 Fixtures