Nigeria’s quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title continues on Monday when they meet Mozambique in the round of 16 at Fez Stadium.
Victory will be the Super Eagles‘ 12th quarter-final participation, increasing their lead in last-eight finishes over Egypt, while Mozambique will make their debut at this stage after reaching the knockout round for the first time in six attempts.
Nigeria is undefeated against the Mambas, having won four and drawn one of their five meetings in all competitions.
Their only prior AFCON match was in 2010, when they won 3-0 in the group stage thanks to two goals from Peter Odemwingie and one from Obafemi Martins.
Terem Moffi, Frank Onyeka, and Moses Simon scored in Nigeria’s 3-2 friendly win over Mozambique in October 2023.
Nigeria advanced to the knockout stage after winning all three of its group matches against Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. They scored eight goals in the group phase, their highest total in an AFCON group stage, while conceding four.
Their 61 AFCON wins currently trail Egypt’s 62, although their record of scoring in 10 straight tournament matches stands.
Ademola Lookman, who has scored twice and supplied two assists so far, has been named to the Super Eagles’ Best XI for the group stage.
Forward Victor Osimhen, who has 32 goals in 49 appearances for Nigeria, is anticipated to lead the assault, assisted by captain Wilfred Ndidi and midfielders Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika.
Semi Ajayi and Bright Osayi-Samuel are expected to return to the starting lineup in defense and wing, respectively.
Lookman reacted to the team’s impressive performance in the group stage, saying, “Yeah, we had a fantastic run in the group stage, and I am grateful to everyone who voted. The selection is for my entire team, as their efforts on the field contributed to my selection.
However, this is not our team’s vision. We have set goals for ourselves in Morocco, and we are still a long way from meeting them.”
Mozambique advanced to the knockout stage after defeating Gabon in their first AFCON finals appearance. They also scored against Cameroon in their last group game but lost 2-1.
The side, led by captain Domingues and coached by Chiquinho Conde, will rely on defenders Nené, Bruno Langa, and Reinildo Mandava, while Chamito, Faisal Bangal, and João Bonde lead the attacking attempts. Geny Catamo has already scored in consecutive AFCON matches, making him the first Mozambican to do so.
