Nigeria are behest for a fourth TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations appellation and will face hosts Morocco analytic for their aboriginal bays win back 1976, in the semi-finals of the 2025 copy at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 14 January at 21h00 bounded time (20h00 GMT).
Both teams are best with Nigeria acceptable all bristles of their games, while Morocco accept recorded four wins and a draw.
They accommodated at the Africa Cup of Nations for the sixth time, with all bristles antecedent AFCON affairs bearing a winner.
This is their aboriginal affair in 22 years at AFCON and the additional time they face anniversary added in an AFCON Semi-final.
Four of their antecedent bristles AFCON affairs came in the accumulation stages in 1976 (two games), 2000 and 2004.
They aboriginal met at AFCON in 1976 in the accumulation stages, with Morocco acceptable both matches 3-1 and 2-1 on their way to their aboriginal and alone title.
This is their additional affair in the Semi-finals. Nigeria won the antecedent affray in 1980, triumphing 1-0 with Felix Owolabi scoring the champ in the 9th minute en avenue to their aboriginal title.
They met afresh in 2000 back Nigeria alone Morocco in their final Accumulation D bold with a 2-0 victory, with Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa scoring for the Super Eagles.
Their aftermost AFCON affair came in the accumulation stages in 2004, back Morocco won 1-0 in their aperture Accumulation D match, Youssef Hadji scoring the alone ambition in the 77th minute.
Nigeria accept faced the host or co-host nation on ten antecedent occasions, with their almanac adjoin hosts account P10 W3 D3 L4.
Nigeria accommodated AFCON hosts for a additional clash in a row, accepting faced Côte d’Ivoire in the accumulation stages and the final in 2023, acceptable 1-0 in the accumulation date and accident 2-1 in the final.
Nigeria additionally defeated clash hosts in 2002, acceptable the third-place bout adjoin Mali 1-0, and recorded a group-stage win over Senegal in 1992 by a 2-1 scoreline.
Nigeria accept absent four times adjoin hosts: alert adjoin Algeria in 1990 (group date and final), as able-bodied as defeats to Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals and Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Final.
Nigeria accept fatigued three times adjoin hosts: in 1978 adjoin Ghana, in 2002 adjoin Mali in the accumulation stages, and in 2004 adjoin Tunisia in the Semi-finals (1-1), afore accident on penalties.
In the knockout circuit at AFCON, Nigeria accept faced hosts bristles times, acceptable alone already adjoin Mali in the 2002 third-place match. They accept absent three times in accessible comedy adjoin Algeria in the 1990 Final, Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals and Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Final, and absent on penalties to Tunisia in 2004.
This is Nigeria’s third absolute knockout bout adjoin a host team, accepting ahead absent to Tunisia on penalties in the 2004 Semi-finals and to Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals.
Overall, this is their 12th meeting, with Morocco captivation the high duke with six wins to Nigeria’s three, with two draws.
Both draws concluded 0-0 and came in accomplishment for the 1984 AFCON in the additional annular over two legs, with Nigeria advanced afterwards acceptable a amends action afterward a aimless aggregate.
Seven of the 11 goals denticulate in their antecedent bristles AFCON affairs accept appear in the additional half.
PAST MEETINGS
OVERALL Nigeria: P11 W3 D2 L6 GF8 GA14 GD-6Morocco: P11 W6 D2 L3 GF14 GA8 GD 6
AFCON ONLY Nigeria: P5 W2 D0 L3 GF5 GA6 GD-1Morocco: P5 W3 D0 L2 GF6 GA5 GD 1
PAST AFCON MEETINGS 1976, Accumulation A – Aboriginal Accumulation Stage, 6 March 1976Morocco 3 (Faras 8’, Tazi 19’, Chebbak 81’) Nigeria 1 (Ojebode 81’)
1976, Final Round, 11 March 1976Morocco 2 (Faras 82’, Guezzar 87’) Nigeria 1 (Mohammed 57’)
1980, Semi-finals, 19 March 1980Nigeria 1 (Owolabi 9’) Morocco 0
2000, Accumulation D, 3 February 2000Nigeria 2 (George 28’, Aghahowa 81’) Morocco 0
2004, Accumulation D, 27 January 2004Nigeria 0 Morocco 1 (Hadji 77’)
Nigeria – Key Statistics
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Defeated Algeria 2-0 in the Quarter-finals to ability the aftermost four.
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Have denticulate at atomic two goals in anniversary of their bristles games, the aboriginal time they accept done so at AFCON.
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Have denticulate at atomic two goals in bristles matches at a distinct AFCON for alone the additional time, additionally accomplishing so in 2000.
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Along with Egypt in 1974 and 2010, are alone the additional aggregation to account at atomic two goals in anniversary of their aboriginal bristles matches at AFCON.
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Have denticulate 14 goals at the accepted finals, their accomplished account at a distinct edition.
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The aftermost aggregation to account 14 goals at an AFCON was Cameroon in 2021.
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Have denticulate in their aftermost 12 AFCON matches, aftermost declining to account in the Annular of 16 accident to Tunisia in 2021.
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Have denticulate in bristles matches at the accepted finals, aftermost scoring in six alternating amateur in 2013.
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Have won bristles alternating AFCON matches for the aboriginal time.
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Have won bristles matches at an AFCON for the additional time, forth with 2019.
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Have never won six matches in a row or six matches at a distinct AFCON edition.
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Have won both of their knockout matches at AFCON 2025; aftermost won three knockout matches in assumption in 2013.
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The 2013 copy is the alone time they accept won three knockout matches in accessible play.
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Will challenge a record-extending 16th AFCON Semi-final.
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First appeared in an AFCON Semi-final in 1978, accident 2-1 to Uganda.
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Under the 24-team AFCON format, alone Senegal (2019, 2021, 2025) and Nigeria (2019, 2023, 2025) accept accomplished three Semi-finals.
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Semi-final almanac reads P15 W8 L7, with the 1976 copy played over two accumulation stages.
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Of their eight Semi-final wins, four accept been in accessible comedy and four on penalties.
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Of their seven eliminations, six were in accessible comedy and one on penalties.
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No aggregation has bootless to advance from added AFCON Semi-finals than Nigeria.
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Victory would see Nigeria ability a ninth AFCON Final and their aboriginal afterwards finals.
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Would draw akin with Ghana on nine AFCON Final appearances.
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Since 2013, alone Egypt, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire accept accomplished assorted finals forth with Nigeria.
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Previous AFCON Final appearances: 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994, 2000 and 2013.
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Would ability a final in North Africa for the fourth time.
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Fifth Semi-final actualization in their aftermost six AFCON participations.
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Lost Semi-finals in 2010 and 2019, won in 2013 and 2023.
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Have absent the Semi-finals alone three times in 20 AFCON appearances (1982, 2008, 2021).
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Have contested eight amends shoot-outs at AFCON, acceptable six.
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Five of those shoot-outs came in the Semi-finals.
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Joint-most amends action wins at AFCON (six), alongside Egypt.
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Penalty action losses came in the 2000 Final and 2004 Semi-finals.
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Won their aboriginal three AFCON shoot-outs in 1984, 1988 and 1994.
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Have alone played one AFCON Final absitively by penalties (2000).
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Have won their aftermost three AFCON amends shoot-outs.
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Won four Semi-finals in accessible comedy (1980, 1990, 2000, 2013).
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Lost four Semi-finals in accessible comedy (1978, 1992, 2002, 2019).
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Victor Osimhen has four goals at the accepted tournament, the best by a Nigerian back Odion Ighalo in 2019.
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Osimhen has 10 AFCON ambition involvements (5 goals, 5 assists).
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Osimhen has denticulate three knockout goals, acceptable the fifth Nigerian to do so at a distinct edition.
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Nigeria accept never absent an AFCON bout in which Osimhen denticulate or assisted (W5 D2).
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Nigeria did not face a attempt on ambition adjoin Algeria.
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Have a attempt about-face amount of 21%, the best at the tournament.
Morocco – Key Statistics
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Defeated Cameroon 1-0 to ability the Semi-finals for the aboriginal time back 2004.
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Reached the Quarter-finals for the fifth time and won at that date for alone the additional time.
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Have taken their best AFCON ambition account to 96.
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Are actualization in the Semi-finals for the fifth time (1980, 1986, 1988, 2004, 2025).
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Are hosts in the Semi-finals for the additional time, afterwards 1988.
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Have won alone one of their antecedent three Semi-finals (2004).
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Lost alternating Semi-finals in 1986 and 1988.
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Lost their aboriginal Semi-final actualization in 1980 to hosts Nigeria.
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All teams that ahead alone Morocco in a Semi-final went on to win the title.
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Victory would booty them to a additional final and their aboriginal in over 21 years.
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All Semi-finals accept been absitively in accessible play.
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All three Semi-final losses were by 1-0 scorelines.
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Victory would see them become the additional alternating host nation to ability the final.
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Would become the 15th host nation to ability an AFCON Final.
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Have kept four clean-sheets at the accepted finals, their best at a distinct edition.
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Yassine Bounou is the aboriginal Moroccan goalkeeper to accumulate four clean-sheets at AFCON.
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Have won four matches at the accepted edition, their best back 2004.
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Have won their aftermost three AFCON matches.
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Brahim Díaz has denticulate bristles goals, the aboriginal amateur to account in bristles matches back 2021.
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Díaz is one ambition shy of Ahmed Faras’ AFCON almanac for Morocco.
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Morocco accept denticulate bristles set-piece goals, added than any added team.
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Walid Regragui is arch Morocco into his additional above Semi-final.
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A win would see Morocco ability their third chief CAF final in beneath a year.