Nigeria must raise their level significantly if they are to end Morocco’s dream of winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has warned, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles face the tournament hosts in Wednesday’s semi-final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, where nearly 70,000 supporters are expected to back a Moroccan side ranked number one in Africa and unbeaten at home for years.
Speaking as an analyst on SuperSport as monitored by Soccernet.ng, Ighalo said Nigeria cannot rely on the same performance that saw them defeat Algeria in the quarter-finals if they are to overcome a young, fast and confident Moroccan team.
“The players must be mentally ready for this match. They will face great pressure against the Moroccan national team.” Ighalo, 2019 AFCON top goalscorer, said.
“As you know, the Moroccan team is young, and they possess speed and agility in handling the ball.
“If Nigeria wants to win this match, the players must exert more effort than they did against Algeria and silence that stadium. I believe they have the ability to achieve that.”
Morocco come into the match as favourites, buoyed by their formidable home record and the confidence drawn from being largely the same group of players who made history by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar; the first African team ever to do so.
Yet Nigeria arrive with credentials of their own. The Super Eagles have won all five of their matches at this tournament and are the competition’s highest-scoring side with 14 goals. Their quarter-final victory over Algeria was their most convincing display so far and confirmed their status as genuine contenders for the title.
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Nigeria vs Morocco: A rivalry renewed under the Rabat lights
Wednesday’s match will be the sixth meeting between Nigeria and Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, and their first in 22 years.
The last time the two sides met at the tournament was in the group stage of AFCON 2004, when Morocco won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Youssef Hadji.
Notably, all five previous AFCON encounters between these two nations have produced a winner, with Morocco holding a narrow edge in the head-to-head record, with three victories to Nigeria’s two.
Nigeria will be attempting to do what no team has managed at this tournament so far: defeat Morocco in front of their own supporters. The hosts have grown stronger with every round, feeding off the energy of the crowd and the belief that this could finally be their moment to lift the trophy on home soil.
Kick-off is set for 9:00 pm (Nigerian time) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.