Tag: Osimhen

Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Desert Warriors of Algeria are set for a terrific showdown in the 45,000-capacity Grand Stade de Marrakech tomorrow, in the third quarter-final match of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Both countries, with five African titles between them, will throw everything into the encounter as they seek a place in the last-4 of perhaps the biggest and most glamorous AFCON tournament in the competition’s 69-year history.

Both teams have been landlords elsewhere. The Eagles flew from Fès – where they had played all their group phase and Round of 16 matches – to Marrakech on Thursday afternoon, while the Fennecs also had to travel from Rabat (where they also played all their previous four games).

Three-time champions Nigeria netted 12 times in their first four matches (three group phase games and the Round of 16), while the Fennecs (otherwise known as Desert Warriors) have struck eight times, including knocking three each past Sudan and Equatorial Guinea in Group E. They eliminated the Democratic Republic of Congo with an added-time goal while the Super Eagles made short work of the Mambas of Mozambique.

Nigeria’s twin-terrors Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, and new face Akor Adams, who is highly motivated by his first AFCON goal (against Mozambique in the Round of 16) and the steady recuperation of his mother, look too hot to handle for the 1990 and 2019 champions.

Osimhen and Lookman were the driving force behind Nigeria’s runner-up accomplishment in Cote d’Ivoire two years ago, and have proved equally impactful here with each netting three goals, while Lookman has five assists and Osimhen has one.

However, the truth is that the Fennecs have their own pack of match-winners, who have proven over the years to be highly dependable and can eke out a result when it is least expected.

Baghdad Bounedjah scored the only goal of the 2019 Final against Senegal in Cairo, which handed Algeria their second AFCON trophy, and has remained one of the most potent strikers in the history of the Fennecs.

Captain Riyad Mahrez has turned out to be as brutally efficient as Rabah Madjer (who carried the nation on his shoulders as the North African country hosted and won the AFCON trophy in 1990), Lakhdar Belloumi and the nifty Abdelhafid Tasfaout.

Ismael Bennacer is another tricky customer, though he operates from the midfield, and defender Ramy Bensebaini scored the only goal when the Fennecs pipped Nigeria in a friendly in Austria in October 2020.

Adil Boulbina netted the scorcher that ended the hopes of Leopards of DR Congo, and the Super Eagles must also beware of midfielders Ibrahim Maza and Hicham Boudaoui, as well as striker Anis Hadj-Moussa.

Nonetheless, Nigeria has looked very capable in this championship, with the group playing with purpose, grit, pride and passion, and captain Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi have delivered energetically and with panache.

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Osimhen’s brace against Mozambique took him within three goals of Nigeria’s all-time record of 37 goals, and Lookman now has six AFCON goals, with his brace against Cameroon and strike against Angola in the knockout rounds of the last competition in Cote d’Ivoire. Both forwards will be eager to add to their tally here.

Paul Onuachu is galvanized by his strike against Uganda in the group phase turning out to be the 150th  AFCON goal for Nigeria, and could play some part in  tomorrow’s duel.

The winner of the encounter will take on the winner of the second semi-final, between Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions and Morocco’s Atlas Lions, taking place today in Rabat.

Incidentally, when Morocco hosted the AFCON in 1988 (the only previous championship the North African Kingdom staged), Cameroon clashed with Morocco in the first semi-final while Nigeria and Algeria clashed in the second semi-final. The quartet are now repeating history at the quarter-final stage.

Thirty-eight years ago, Nigeria edged Algeria in a marathon penalty shootout after regulation and extra time ended 1-1, while Cameroon edged hosts Morocco to set up a Nigeria-Cameroon Final. The Indomitable Lions won that controversial Final 1-0.    

Bayern Munich have reportedly cooled their interest in Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, insisting there is no urgency to strengthen their centre-forward position.

According to Bild, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl clarified that Osimhen would only become a serious option if Harry Kane were to consider leaving the club at the end of the season.

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Such a scenario appears unlikely, with Kane reportedly opting not to activate his €65 million release clause. While Bayern continue to monitor the market for long-term planning, their immediate focus remains on securing reliable backup options rather than pursuing Osimhen.

The Nigerian forward, currently representing his country at AFCON in Morocco, is under contract with Galatasaray until 2029 and valued at approximately €75 million.

• Ighalo  backs Galatasaray  striker as captain

Galatasaray ace striker Victor Osimhen  last night  finally breezed  into the Super Eagles’  camp  in Cairo  to complete  the  team’s 28-man roster ahead of their departure to Fes for the 35^th  Africa cup of Nations , Morocco 2025.

He joined  yesterday  following the arrival of FC Paris winger, Moses Simon, much to the delight  of the rank and file of the team  who were in a celebratory mood  with  the birthday celebration  of defender  Wilfred Ndidi and  newly invited Blackburn defender, Ryan Alebiosu.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are scheduled to fly to their AFCON 2025  base in Fès today in a chartered  flight. Nigeria is drawn in Group C, where they will face Tanzania on December 23^rd  with other matches against  Tunisia and Uganda on December 27  and 30 respectively.

Meanwhile, former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo  believes  Osimhen should be named captain of the team to the 2025 AFCON.

The retirement of William Ekong has meant that the Super Eagles will have a new captain leading them to the AFCON with Ndidi widely tipped to take up this role.

However, Ighalo maintained that Osimhen is best suited for this position.

 “There are several players ahead of him (as senior players), but now Osimhen is doing well and he has the balls to demand what the team wants,” Ighalo said in an interview.

 “Ndidi is not the talking type, he’s a very calm guy, but Osimhen is outspoken, he is going to speak on behalf of the team, he’s going to ginger the boys, he’s going to fight for the boys, he will speak to anybody he needs to speak to  make sure they are okay.

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 “The captain job is not easy because your neck in on the line, because whatever the boys demand it’s you that will put it forward to the NFF.

 “And if NFF want to come for anybody, they are coming for you because you are the captain.

 “With Osimhen, he will speak and nothing can happen because he’s the biggest player in the team, so they won’t want to look down on him, they will listen to him because he’s doing well.

 “When you’re doing well, you have every power to demand for stuff and he’s in that position.

 “He has the character to step up and demand for the team because when you see him he is hustling, he’s showing it on the pitch and so you as a player will listen to him and also fight for the team.”