Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen produced a man-of-the-match display on Saturday night as Nigeria beat Algeria 2–0 to reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria started the game with more purpose but could not fashion an early breakthrough.
And after coping with the early storm, Algeria's midfield began to enjoy more possession. But they could not string the passes together to create danger.
Nigeria maintained their air of menace though and in the 28th minute Algeria defender Rami Bensebaini had to hack the ball off the line after Calvin Bassey's flick had got past the Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane
Six minutes later, Nigeria should have opened the scoring. Alex Iwobi slid a ball through to Akor Adams but with only Zidane to beat, Adams scooped his shot over the crossbar.
Osimhen broke the deadlock just after the pause. Bruno Onyemaechi floated over a cross and the 27-year-old rose to head past Zidane.
It was no more than Nigeria's first-half enterprise deserved and the strike forced Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic to inject risk into his tactics.
Algeria skipper Mahrez calls for 'big game' against Nigeria at Cup of Nations
But it was Nigeria who struck again.
Iwobi, revelling in inordinate amounts of space, played the ball through to Osimhen who surged into the box and shaped to shoot but instead squared for the unmarked Adams.
This time, the Sevilla striker kept his composure to walk the ball around Zidane and tap into the unguarded net.
Petkovic made the changes. Skipper Riyad Mahrez, Ibrahim Maza and Ramiz Zerrouki came off for Baghdad Bounedjah, Hadj Moussa and Adil Boulbina.
The reconfiguration renewed Algeria's nerve and verve. But it was Nigeria who nearly scored. Osimhen surged down the right and crossed for Adams whose header hit the post.
Even with that reprieve, Algeria failed to find the goal to make Nigeria sweat and the 2023 runners-up marched on with a second consecutive clean sheet.
On 14 January, they will take on Morocco who overpowered Cameroon on Friday night at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
The other semi final will pit Senegal against the winners of Saturday night's game between Egypt and Cote d'Ivoire.
