Nigeria take on Algeria in a heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final tie today after a reported payment dispute was settled.
The Super Eagles, who were runners-up to Ivory Coast at the last AFCON tournament, sealed their place in the last eight with a comfortable 4-0 win over Mozambique.
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Victor Osimhen’s on-pitch argument with team-mate Ademola Lookman somewhat marred that game, while preparations for their quarter-final clash were overshadowed by a dispute over unpaid bonuses from their four matches in Morocco so far.
It was widely reported that Nigeria had threatened to not train or board the flight to Marrakesh until the dispute was settled. Thankfully, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Musa Gusau has since confirmed the issue has now been resolved.
Algeria’s preparations have been far smoother after sealing a quarter-final place thanks to beating DR Congo in extra time earlier in the week.
The winners of this tie will face hosts Morocco, who saw off Cameroon 2-0 on Friday night.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Algeria vs Nigeria is scheduled for a 4pm GMT kick-off today on Saturday January 10, 2026.
The match will take place at the Marrakesh Stadium in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Where to watch Algeria vs Nigeria
TV channel: Every match of the 2025 AFCON tournament will be shown live in the UK across Channel 4’s network.
This game will be broadcast on E4, with coverage starting at 3.30pm GMT.
Live stream: UK viewers will be able to stream the game live online via the Channel 4 app and website, plus the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Algeria vs Nigeria team news
For Algeria, Ismael Bennacer is a doubt after being forced off during the win over DR Congo.
The former AC Milan midfielder, now in Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb, is one of four injury concerns along with Jaouen Hadjam, Samir Chergui and Mohamed Tougai.
Elsewhere, captain Riyad Mahrez should be fresh after playing 70 minutes on Monday evening so should start and Adil Boulbina could be rewarded for his winning goal with a first start at the tournament.
Akor Adams, a scorer in Nigeria’s win over Mozambique, is available to feature against Algeria after being granted permission to leave the camp this week for personal reasons.
With Cyriel Dessers ruled out for the remainder of the tournament through injury, Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle could named an unchanged side.
This would mean Osimhen continues to lead the line despite calls from some supporters for the striker to be dropped as a result of his aforementioned altercation with Lookman against Mozambique.
Algeria vs Nigeria prediction
Algeria and Nigeria have been two of the better nations to watch at AFCON so far and an entertaining match is on the cards as both teams are strong in attack.
It’s a quarter-final, therefore the very finest of margins is likely to settle this one and we expect a fresher Nigeria to come out on top against an Algeria side that played 120 minutes on Monday.
Nigeria to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
The last meeting between Algeria and Nigeria was a friendly in September 2022, when goals from Mahrez and Youcef Atal handed the Desert Warriors a 2-1 win.
Algeria wins: 10
Nigeria wins: 9
Draws: 3
Algeria vs Nigeria match odds
Algeria to qualify: 6/5
Nigeria to qualify: 6/10
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
