Morocco 2025: Super Eagles to take on Mambas in Round of 16

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Photo : Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze (who assisted for two goals), Raphael Onyedika (who scored two goals), Nigeria-born Uche Ikpeazu of Uganda and Nigeria’s Simon Moses during the Eagles’ 3-1 win over the Cranes on Tuesday

Nigeria will clash with Mozambique for only the sixth time at senior level, as both teams go for each other’s jugular in one of the Round of 16 games of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

The 35,000-capacity Complexe Sportif de Fès, which has been home to three-time African champions Nigeria in their entire Group C campaign, will be the venue for the encounter that will commence at 8pm on Monday, 5th January.

Nigeria swept through their group phase campaign like the harmattan, winning all three games while scoring eight goals and conceding four. Ademola Lookman and Raphael Onyedika have scored twice each, with Semi Ajayi, Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Paul Onuachu supplying the other goals.

Mozambique lost their opening game to Cup holders Cote d’Ivoire, but then dug their feet into the ground to triumph over Gabon, before losing 1-2 to Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions on Wednesday evening.

Monday’s confrontation is expected to be explosive, as the young Mambas have demonstrated capacity to stand toe-to-toe with the big teams and pull something out of the inferno whenever they need to.

Of their five previous confrontations, Nigeria have been victorious on four occasions, including their only AFCON encounter way back in Lubango, Angola in January 2010, in which the Eagles ran away with a 3-0 win. Nigeria won a friendly match in Maputo in August 1999 by the odd goal and won another one in Portugal in October 2023 by 3-2, while 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches ended 0-0 in Maputo and 1-0 in Abuja, Obinna Nsofor scoring five minutes into added time to keep alive Nigeria’s World Cup hopes.

ALL THE AFCON 2025 ROUND OF 16 MATCHES

Mali Vs Tunisia

Morocco Vs Tanzania

Algeria Vs DR Congo

Egypt Vs Bénin Rep

Senegal Vs Sudan

Nigeria Vs Mozambique

South Africa Vs Cameroon

Burkina Faso Vs Cote d’Ivoire

SUPER EAGLES, MAMBAS IN HISTORY

17 Aug 1999: Mozambique 0-1 Nigeria (International Friendly: Maputo)

29 Mar 2009: Mozambique 0-0 Nigeria (WCq: Maputo)