Nigeria are confident of reaching the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when they face Mozambique on Monday night at the Complexe Sportif de Fès.
The encounter promises a thrilling contest, with coaches Eric Chelle and Chiquinho Conde keeping their tactics, strategies, and line-ups under wraps.
The Super Eagles swept the group stage with three wins, scoring eight goals and conceding four, a performance that earned Chelle the accolade of Coach of the Group Phase.
Read Also: AFCON 2025: Nigeria face fresh injury crisis ahead of Mozambique clash
However, Nigeria must be cautious against third-placed Mozambique, who famously toppled Gabon in Group F despite defeats to Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon. A similar third-placed team, Tunisia, eliminated Nigeria at the same stage four years ago in Garoua.
Mozambique coach Conde can rely on defenders Nené, Bruno Langa, and Reinildo Mandava to hold the backline, while midfielders Domingues and João Bonde aim to supply forwards Chamito and Faisal Bangal with opportunities to catch Nigeria off guard.
Ademola Lookman, selected in the Group Phase Best XI after two goals and two assists, credited his teammates for the recognition.
“The selection is not just for me, but for all my teammates, because their efforts contributed to this. However, this is not our ultimate vision. We have set targets to accomplish here in Morocco, and we are nowhere near them yet,” he said.
CAF has appointed Cameroonian referee Abdou Abdel Mefir for Monday night’s match, assisted by compatriots Elvis Noupoue and Carine Atezambong.
