Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a dominant 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16, delivering a ruthless performance that underlined their growing title credentials.
Inspired by a resurgent Victor Osimhen, who scored twice to silence weeks of criticism, Eric Chelle’s side became the first team to net four goals in a single match at AFCON 2025, bringing Mozambique’s fairytale debut campaign to an emphatic end at the knockout stage.
The Super Eagles asserted control from the opening exchanges and, after an early offside decision briefly halted their momentum, took a deserved lead in the 20th minute. Ademola Lookman, the tournament’s highest-rated player and current leading scorer, finished clinically after Alex Iwobi’s intelligent movement created space and Akor Adams supplied a perfectly weighted pass. The goal made it 1–0 and exposed early cracks in the Mambas’ defence.
Nigeria doubled their advantage five minutes later through Osimhen. The Galatasaray striker, who had been heavily scrutinised ahead of the tournament, reacted sharply to a pinpoint cross from Adams, cleverly redirecting the ball past goalkeeper Ernan Siluane to make it 2–0.
By the interval, the statistics reflected Nigeria’s dominance, with Mozambique failing to register a single shot on target as the Super Eagles cruised toward the last eight.
Any hopes of a second-half response from Mozambique were extinguished almost immediately after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, Lookman produced a moment of brilliance, weaving past three defenders before squaring the ball for Osimhen to tap home into an empty net in the 47th minute to complete his brace and make it 3–0.
With the outcome effectively decided, Chelle rotated his squad to manage workloads ahead of tougher challenges, but Nigeria’s intensity remained high. In the 75th minute, Akor Adams capped an outstanding all-round display by unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the box that flew into the roof of the net for the fourth goal of the night, sealing what many described as a “Man of the Match” performance.
The final whistle merely confirmed a comprehensive victory that showcased clinical finishing, tactical discipline and attacking flair — a display many Nigerian fans had been waiting for since the start of the tournament.
Beyond the scoreline, the result served as a statement of intent, answering lingering doubts and banishing memories of past knockout disappointments. With the quarter-finals now beckoning, Nigeria have firmly announced themselves as serious contenders, and the rest of Africa has been put on notice.
