OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigeria’s quest for a fourth AFCON title ended in a night of high drama as their record-breaking scoring run was finally snapped by hosts Morocco.
After a tense 120 minutes ended in a 0-0 deadlock, the Super Eagles were eliminated 4-2 on penalties.
The result marks the first time in 13 AFCON matches that Nigeria failed to find the back of the net, bringing a historic offensive era to a bittersweet conclusion.
The last time the Super Eagles were blanked at AFCON was in Garoua, Cameroon, when Youssef Msakni’s goal secured a 1-0 victory for Tunisia in January 2021.
Since then, Nigeria had embarked on their longest scoring streak in the history of their AFCON participation, scoring consistently across two tournaments and establishing a reputation for efficiency and variety in attack.
The run began at the 2023 finals with a 1-1 group-stage draw against Equatorial Guinea, where Victor Osimhen scored Nigeria’s opener, and continued with a 1-0 win over Ivory Coast, sealed by William Troost-Ekong’s penalty.
An own goal from Opa Sanganté secured victory against Guinea-Bissau, before Ademola Lookman struck twice in a 2-0 round of 16 win over Cameroon.
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Lookman was again decisive in the quarter-final against Angola, scoring the only goal, while Troost-Ekong converted another penalty in the semi-final draw with South Africa, a match Nigeria eventually won on penalties.
Despite taking the lead through Troost-Ekong in the final against Ivory Coast, the Super Eagles were denied the title as Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller scored in the 62nd and 81st minutes to hand the hosts a 2-1 victory. Even in defeat, Nigeria’s scoring sequence remained intact.
That trend carried into the 2025 tournament in Morocco as Nigeria opened with a 2-1 win over Tanzania in Fez, with Semi Ajayi and Lookman on target, before edging Tunisia 3-2 thanks to goals from Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Lookman.
A 3-1 victory over Uganda followed, with Paul Onuachu opening the scoring and Raphael Onyedika netting twice, while the round of 16 brought a commanding 4-0 win over Mozambique, featuring goals from Lookman, Osimhen, Akor Adams and another Osimhen strike.
The quarter-final against Algeria in Marrakesh extended the streak to 12 matches, as Osimhen and Adams scored in a 2-0 win that took Nigeria’s goal tally for the tournament to 14.
That figure also represents the highest number of goals the Super Eagles have ever scored at a single AFCON edition, equalling the mark set by Cameroon and leaving them two short of the record 16 goals scored by Ivory Coast in 2008.
The goalless draw against Morocco not only ended the scoring run but also halted another landmark sequence, with Nigeria having scored at least two goals in each of their previous five matches at the tournament, the first time they had achieved such a feat at AFCON.
It was also only the second time in their history that the Super Eagles had scored in five consecutive matches at a single edition, the first being in 2000.
While the historic consecutive streak has now ended, Nigeria still have the opportunity to equal Ivory Coast’s record of 16 goals when they face Egypt in the third-place match on Saturday.