ALGERIA head coach Vladimir Petkovic has admitted that his side were second best to the Super Eagles in last night’s Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final encounter in Marrakesh.
The Super Eagles were fluid and dominant as they won 2-0 courtesy of Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams strikes, setting up a tantalising semi-final against hosts Morocco.
“I congratulate the Nigerian team, who deserved to win the match,” Petkovic said during his post-match press conference.
“The opponent played better than us. We couldn’t get into the game properly; we had to stay focused.
“I don’t want to go into too many details, but Nigeria was better than us. We were missing a lot of things. We wanted to control the game, but the opponent was strong and prevented us from doing so.”
The Super Eagles were so superior that the 2-0 scoreline flattered Algeria, who had conceded just one goal in their previous four matches, and had no shot on target in 90 minutes.
Petkovic added: “The Nigerian team showed the individual skills they possess, and physically we were behind. We tried to come back in the second half, but we couldn’t reach the level we wanted in attack.
“Our players are disappointed and devastated after the match. They performed well in this tournament. Now the competition is over, and another tournament is coming. We must keep our heads high after this exit.”
The Super Eagles will face Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday night, after the first semi-final between Egypt and Senegal.