Victor Osimhen Brace, Ademola Lookman Masterclass Power Super Eagles into AFCON 2025 Quarter-Finals

Nigeria’s senior men’s national team set new personal and tournament records with a dominant 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Complexe de Fès on Monday night.

A brace from Victor Osimhen and a sensational hat-trick of assists from Ademola Lookman propelled the Super Eagles to a comprehensive win over the Mambas, who were making their first-ever appearance in the AFCON knockout stage.

Nigeria signalled their intent early when Osimhen found the net in the second minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The breakthrough eventually came in the 20th minute as Akor Adams teed up Lookman, who calmly finished to put the three-time African champions ahead.

Five minutes later, Lookman turned provider once again, delivering a dangerous cross that Osimhen poked home to double Nigeria’s advantage and give Eric Chelle’s side a comfortable 2–0 lead at half-time.

The Super Eagles picked up where they left off after the break. Just two minutes into the second half, Lookman registered his second assist of the night, laying the ball perfectly for Osimhen to tap in Nigeria’s third goal.

The rout was completed when Lookman capped a remarkable individual performance with his third assist, slipping a pass to Akor Adams, who rifled a fine strike into the top corner from a tight angle to make it 4–0.

The emphatic victory marked several milestones for Nigeria at AFCON 2025. It was their first clean sheet of the tournament, and they also became the first team to score four goals in a single match at this year’s finals. Additionally, the Super Eagles achieved a historic feat by winning their first four matches at an AFCON tournament for the first time in their history.

Nigeria will now await the winner of the Round of 16 clash between Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo as they prepare for a quarter-final showdown, with confidence soaring after a statement performance in Fès.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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