Nigeria face hosts Morocco tonight in a blockbuster Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, with a place in Saturday’s final on the line. Kick-off is set for 9pm at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, as two of the tournament’s most in-form sides collide under the Moroccan lights.
The Super Eagles arrive in the last four with a perfect record, having won all five of their matches so far at AFCON 2025. Eric Chelle’s side have responded superbly to the disappointment of missing out on the 2026 World Cup, producing some of the tournament’s most fluent attacking football and establishing themselves as genuine title contenders once again.
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Nigeria’s Road to the Semi-Finals
Nigeria’s campaign has gathered momentum with every round. Victories over Tanzania (2-1) and Tunisia (3-2) secured early qualification from Group C, before a rotated side overcame Uganda 3-1. In the knockout stages, the Super Eagles stepped it up another level, dispatching Mozambique 4-0 in the round of 16 and then producing a controlled, dominant 2-0 win over Algeria in the quarter-finals.
Across five matches, Nigeria have scored 14 goals, the highest tally at the tournament, while also tightening up defensively with two clean sheets in their last two outings. Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams have led the line with pace and purpose, while Alex Iwobi has quietly been one of the tournament’s standout midfielders.
Morocco’s Home Challenge
Standing in Nigeria’s way are the hosts, who have built their run on defensive solidity and home support. Morocco topped Group A with seven points, conceding just once, before seeing off Cameroon 2-0 in the quarter-finals.
Brahim Diaz has been the standout figure for the Atlas Lions, scoring in every match so far and leading the goalscoring chart. Walid Regragui’s side are compact, disciplined and dangerous in transition, making them a very different test to the teams Nigeria have faced so far.
While Nigeria have been free-scoring, Morocco have yet to concede a goal from open play, setting up a fascinating clash of attacking ambition against defensive control.
Team News and Key Absences
Nigeria will be without captain Wilfred Ndidi, who is suspended after picking up bookings earlier in the tournament. Raphael Onyedika is expected to deputise in midfield, while there are also fitness concerns over Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Morocco are close to full strength, with Achraf Hakimi returning to the starting XI, though Azzedine Ounahi and Romain Saiss remain sidelined.
Head-to-Head
Nigeria and Morocco have met 11 times across major competitions, with Morocco holding a slight historical edge. However, tonight’s semi-final represents a fresh chapter, with both sides arriving in top form and chasing continental glory.
For Nigeria, this is a chance to reach a second consecutive AFCON final and take another major step toward a fourth African title.
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AFCON Knockout Jackpot – Win a Share of Up to N50 Million
Tonight’s semi-final is also a key moment in the AFCON Knockout Jackpot, where the prize pool continues to grow with every goal and every Nigeria win.
The jackpot started at N10 Million and increases throughout the knockout rounds:
- Every AFCON goal adds N500,000
- Every Nigeria goal adds N1,000,000
- Every Nigeria win adds N2,000,000
- If Nigeria win AFCON, an extra N5,000,000 is added
The jackpot can rise to as much as N50 Million, shared among the top 10 players on the leaderboard, with additional Free Bet rewards for positions 11–100 and N250,000 cash winners selected by lucky draw each round.
Make sure your bet slip includes at least one pre-match AFCON selection with minimum odds of 2.0 to qualify, and don’t forget to check your leaderboard ranking as the tournament progresses.
