Yesterday at the Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria cruised into the quarterfinals with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Mozambique. Victor Osimhen scored twice in the match.
Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are both former African Footballer of the Year winners. Lookman scored the first goal in the 20th minute of the match in Fes and assisted on the other three goals that were scored that night, according to Channels TV.
Before scoring Nigeria’s second goal in the 25th minute, Osimhen reapplied his signature mask, which he had initially worn without the game.
Just after halftime, he scored again, and Akor Adams made it official.
Since Egypt’s 4-0 semi-final thrashing of Algeria in 2010 in Angola, this is the largest winning margin in an AFCON knockout match.
Going into Saturday’s last-eight match in Marrakesh, the Super Eagles will be looking to redeem themselves after missing out on World Cup qualification. They will face either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
If DR Congo were to win Tuesday’s match, it would give Nigeria an opportunity to exact revenge for their penalty shootout loss to the Leopards in November’s World Cup qualifying play-off.
After emerging as one of the top three teams in their group, Mozambique made its first appearance in the AFCON knockout stage.
They couldn’t stand a chance against a Nigerian squad that had undergone significant changes since their last group stage match, when coach Eric Chelle started a number of bench players in a 3-1 win over Uganda.
Among those re-inserted into the starting lineup was Atalanta forward Lookman, who had scored in the second group match’s 3-2 victory against Tunisia. As halftime drew near, the 2024 African player of the year handed his team the lead.
Adams was let free on the left side of the penalty area by a through ball from Alex Iwobi, and Lookman converted the resulting cutback first time.
The 28-year-old then took on the role of provider, setting up Osimhen for a close-range poke in the 25th minute after Adams assisted on a cross from the left.
The striker for Galatasaray came out of a challenge with Witi, who had previously kneed Osimhen in the stomach, unhurt shortly afterward.
In the 47th minute, Lookman sent a low ball across the goal from the left side of the field, and Osimhen finished it off to make it 3-0. Mozambique never had a chance to fight back.
Now that he scored against Tunisia in the group stage, the 2023 African player of the year has three goals at the tournament in Morocco; he had gone seven matches without scoring before that.
With twenty-five minutes to go, Lookman set up Adams inside the penalty area, and the Sevilla striker blasted a shot high into the top corner. Adams was not done for the night.
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