Two of the most in-form teams at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 will fight for a place in the semi-finals as 2019 champions Algeria face three-time winners Nigeria in the quarter-finals on Saturday (10 January).
Algeria and Nigeria meet in the quarter-finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 on Saturday (10 January) in Marrakech, with a place in the semi-finals on the line.
Both sides progressed through the group stage with a perfect record, the only two teams to do so, but that achievement will count for little if either falls at this stage.
It sets the tone for what promises to be a compelling contest in Marrakech, between two in-form sides with little margin for error.
Algeria on redemption journey
The Fennec Foxes endured humiliating group-stage exits at the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, but in Morocco they have shown that lessons from those failures have been absorbed, turning them into a return to the last eight.
After an impressive group-stage campaign, Algeria edged past DR Congo in the Round of 16, a tense contest settled by Adil Boulbina’s superb strike in the 119th minute of extra time.
Vladimir Petkovic’s side have been built on defensive solidity, conceding just one goal in four matches, with goalkeeper Luca Zidane playing a key role, watched on from the stands by his father, Zinedine, who has attended every Algeria match at the tournament.
That defensive record will face its sternest test against Nigeria, who boast the competition’s most potent attack with 12 goals in four games.
At the other end, Riyad Mahrez remains central to Algeria’s play. Now 34, the captain has scored three times and continues to dictate key moments.
Mahrez, along with Baghdad Bounedjah, Ismaël Bennacer and Ramy Bensebaini, are survivors of Algeria’s 2019 triumph, bringing experience and composure when pressure builds, while young players like Fares Chaibi are proving pivotal to the team’s character.
Algeria have won 11 of their past 14 internationals, but in their first match outside Rabat, that record will be in jeopardy.
Their most recent meeting with Nigeria came in the 2019 AFCON semi-final, when Mahrez’s stoppage-time free-kick sealed a 2–1 victory on the way to the title.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/afcon-2025-quarter-final-preview-algeria-nigeria
