Nigeria face host nation Morocco in Afcon Semis
Nigeria will face host nation Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Nigeria have been one of the standout stories of the tournament, exceeding expectations after the disappointment of missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a play-off defeat to DR Congo in November.
Managed by Malian coach Eric Chelle, the Super Eagles continue to carry the weight of expectation of the vast football-loving population that the so-called “giant of Africa” can rise to any challenge regardless of the opponent.
Arriving for the group stage with relatively modest expectations, Nigeria have responded with fluent attacking football and a perfect record, winning every match with some of the best attacking displays in the tournament.
Chelle’s side are the tournament’s highest scorers with 14 goals from five matches, conceding four and keeping two clean sheets, with attacking quality provided by Osimhen, Lookman and Alex Iwobi, supported by Akor Adams, while leadership and balance come from Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Nigeria and Morocco have met 11 times since 1969 across major competitions, with the latter holding the overall edge with six wins to the Super Eagles’ four and one draw, in a rivalry shaped by World Cup qualifiers and AFCON meetings.
Morocco has dominated the last six encounters as the Super Eagles have managed just one win – a 2-0 victory at the 2000 AFCON.
Nigeria have been dealt a major blow ahead of the semi-final as captain Ndidi is suspended for one match after accumulating bookings, with Raphael Onyedika expected to deputise following his impressive group-stage displays.
Morocco have had to contend with injury issues during the competition, but the return of captain Hakimi has lifted the squad.
Nigeria have navigated every challenge at the tournament with authority, demonstrating depth, quality and a clear determination to make amends for the disappointment of missing out on the 2026 World Cup, while Morocco will be difficult to overcome with home support and the weight of expectation to finally lift the AFCON trophy.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Senegal and Egypt lock horns in Tangier
The business end of the Africa Cup of Nations is here, with Senegal and Egypt set to lock horns in Tangier today.
Both teams have enjoyed similar results in the tournament, winning four of the five fixtures played, but the way in which they were victorious speaks volumes.
Currently ranked second in Africa, just behind the hosts Morocco, Senegal will be aiming to reach their third AFCON final in the last four editions to reclaim the number one spot on the continent.
The Lions of Teranga enjoy a decent record against the Pharaohs in recent years, winning three of the last five meetings, including their most-recent clash, which dumped Egypt out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
What will concern Egyptian head coach Hossam Hassan is that his team have only managed to score one goal against Senegal across their previous five meetings.
The seven-time AFCON champions enjoyed a similar group stage to Senegal in that they won two and drew one of their games.
There are certainly some vulnerabilities within the Egyptian camp that Senegal can exploit.
The Lions of Teranga appear to have a fully-fit squad, which is exactly the type of headache that coach Thiaw would fancy.
The West African nation will certainly rely on Captain Sadio Mane for inspiration, as he has registered three assists since the start of the competition, the most for Senegal and second in the overall chart for this AFCON.
No prizes for guessing who Egypt’s hopes will rest on today – Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah – who gets a chance to face his former teammate, Mane.
Salah is in the race for the Golden Boot with four goals from five matches, but he is also eyeing the record of becoming Egypt’s joint all-time top-scorer at AFCON tournaments with one more goal, which he will share with Hassan El-Shazly should he find the back of the net.
Defender Mohamed Hamdi will not be available for selection after injuring his knee in the first half against Benin, which means Ahmed Fatouh should step in, as he did in the quarter-final.
After Omar Marmoush scored his second goal of the tournament against Cote d’Ivoire, all eyes will be on the Manchester City forward to lead the line against a well-drilled Senegalese defence.
The Lions of Teranga have had the better of the Pharaohs in recent meetings, but the last five head-to-heads were fiercely contested contests. The West African side look set to book a spot in the AFCON 2025 final.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
