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The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Monday will continue its quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title against Mozambique, who have reached the knockout phase of the competition for the first time.
The Round of 16 encounter will be played at the Stade de Fes, with kick-off at 8pm (WAT). This will be the second meeting between the teams at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles have moved on from the heartbreak of missing out on the FIFA World Cup and have been flying high in Morocco on the back of a talented squad featuring Ademola Lookman, Raphael Onyedika, Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi.
As one of only two teams to maintain a perfect group-stage record, the former champions now face Mozambique, who for the first time advanced past the group stage, for a place in the quarterfinals.
Nigeria, champions of Africa for the last time in 2013, soared into the knockouts as the table toppers of Group C, registering victories over Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. Nigeria were the first team to reach the last 16 with a 100 percent record.
Mozambique advanced as one of the four best third-placed sides. The Mambas lost two Group F games and won one, against Gabon, which ended their 40-year wait for a victory at the continental tournament.
They are making their first appearance in AFCON’s knockout stages.
The winner of the Nigeria and Mozambique match will travel to Marrakesh to face the winner of the Algeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo match in the quarterfinal on January 10th.
Head To Head
Their previous AFCON encounter came in the final group game of the 2010 tournament, when Nigeria ran out 3–0 winners. Peter Odemwingie scored twice, finding the net in the 45th and 47th minutes, while Obafemi Martins added a third goal in the 86th minute.
Overall, the sides have met five times in all competitions. Nigeria remain undefeated with four wins and one draw.
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They also met in the second round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which doubled as AFCON qualifiers. The first leg in Maputo on 29 March 2009 ended goalless.
Nigeria won the return leg 1–0 on 11 October 2009, with Victor Obinna scoring the only goal in second-half stoppage time. Nigeria qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while both teams also reached the 2010 AFCON finals.
Their most recent meeting was a friendly international played on 16 October 2023 in the Portuguese city of Albufeira. Nigeria won 3–2, with goals from Terem Moffi, Frank Onyeka and Moses Simon. Geny Catamo and Faisal scored for Mozambique.
Super Eagles of Nigeria
After sweeping through the group stage of the 2025 AFCON with three wins from three games, Nigeria will look to sustain its impressive form when they face Mozambique in the round of 16 in Fes on Monday.
The Super Eagles head into the tie as favourites against the Mambas, but Mozambique have already shown they are capable of troubling more established sides.
A victory over Gabon, coupled with brilliant displays in defeats to Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon, underlined their ability to compete with Africa’s traditional heavyweights.
“My dream is to win with 4 or 5 goals and have 80% possession, that is the perfection I dream of,” Nigeria coach Eric Chelle said. “But this is the AFCON.
“Mozambique is a great team, but they have a lot of things to improve on, just like us. And that’s why we work hard during our training.”
The coach also shared some injury updates ahead of the crucial match.
“Ryan (Alebiosu) is back in a few days, he head a bad injury but he will start running today,” he added. Cyriell Dessers has a big injury which will keep hom out for 10-12 weeks. We are sad for him and hope we can win for him.”
The Super Eagles will feel encouraged by their strong start to the tournament and what appears to be a favourable last-16 draw.
With confidence high in Éric Chelle’s camp, the Super Eagles will be aiming to take another decisive step towards ending their long wait for continental glory.
The Mambas of Mozambique
Mozambique, arguably the surprise package of the tournament, scraped through as one of the best third-placed teams.
While they lack the star power of the Nigerian squad, the Mambas have shown incredible defensive organisation and a knack for frustrating bigger opponents, relying on quick transitions to catch teams off guard.
Catamo has been one of Mozambique’s key attacking threats, converting a penalty in their 3-2 win over Gabon before scoring a fine goal in a narrow 2-1 loss to Cameroon.
Mozambique have reached the knockout stages for the first time at their sixth attempt. They failed to progress beyond the group stage in their first five AFCON appearances.
They recorded their first-ever AFCON finals victory by defeating Gabon in the group stage; this remains their only win in 18 AFCON matches (D4 L13).
The knockout phase of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations swings into high gear as the Super Eagles of Nigeria take on the Mambas of Mozambique in Fes. The winner of Monday’s encounter will progress to the quarter-finals to face either Algeria or DR Congo.
A potential meeting with DR Congo would revive memories of the 2026 CAF World Cup qualifying playoff final, where Nigeria suffered defeat, allowing the Leopards to advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.
On paper, it is a classic David vs. Goliath encounter, but in a tournament already marked by upsets, Nigeria knows they cannot afford complacency.
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