Osimhen, Iwobi inspire Nigeria past Algeria in a dominant win

Victor Osimhen wheels away in celebration after heading Nigeria in front on Saturday in a quarter-final clash against Algeria. Nigeria won 2...

Victor Osimhen wheels away in celebration after heading Nigeria in front on Saturday in a quarter-final clash against Algeria. Nigeria won 2-0 and will face Morocco in the semifinal. (Photo credit: GOAL)

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Saturday booked their place in the last four of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco after a sensational performance against the Desert Foxes of Algeria.

Algeria went into the encounter against Nigeria having conceded only one goal en route to the quarter-final and, as the only other team outside Nigeria to win all their group games, on paper, it was predicted to be a keenly contested affair, but the game didn’t look anything like it.

Coach Eric Chelle retained the same eleven that beat Mozambique in the round of 16, while his Algerian counterpart rang some changes due to injuries. Nigeria settled into the game quickly, spreading passes and forcing the Algerians to defend deep.

Algeria had become a bogey team to the Super Eagles in their last few previous AFCON games, including the 2019 edition, where a Riyad Mahrez-inspired free kick handed the Desert Foxes a 2-1 win over Nigeria as Algeria went on to lift the title.

Nigeria had chance after chance after chance in the first half; Akor Adams raced through on goal after a sensational through ball from Alex Iwobi, but the Sevilla forward blazed over with the goal gaping. The Super Eagles thought they had the ball in the net earlier, but the VAR ruled against a goal in the absence of goal line technology.

Algeria offered nothing going forward; they defended deep until the half ended. Nigeria had scored an average of three goals a game in the tournament so far, and, on the balance of how the first half ended, you sense goals coming the way of the Nigerians.

It didn’t take long for Nigeria to prove their worth in the second half. Just two minutes after the restart, Victor Osimhen latched on to a Bruno Onyemechi cross to head past Luca Zidane in the Algerian goal. France legend Zinedine Zidane watched on as his son conceded that goal.

Nigeria scored again just a few minutes later. Alex Iwobi, who is proving to be the most creative player at this tournament, found Osimhen in space; the Galatasaray man fed Akor Adams, who danced round Zidane before slotting into an empty net.

Algeria still had nothing to record at the other end, and it was Nigeria who threatened to score again. Osimhen raced to the byline and cut back for Akor Adams, but the latter could only find the woodwork as the game ended 2-0 with Algeria without a single shot on target.

Nigeria will face hosts Morocco in the semifinal on Wednesday, while the other semifinal will see Egypt against Senegal after the Pharoes beat reigning champions Ivory Coast 3-2 in the other quarterfinal on Saturday.