Nigeria vs Morocco: All the Way for Hosts or Another Final Spot for the Super Eagles?

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Nigeria vs Morocco: All the Way for Hosts or Another Final Spot for the Super Eagles?
Last-edition finalists Nigeria face hosts Morocco in what is undoubtedly the match of the tournament. Both the Super Eagles and Atlas Lions have been unrivalled so far, making this semi-final feel like a "final before the final" in Rabat. With the tournament’s most lethal attack meeting its most stubborn defence, the winner will surely be favourites to lift the prestigious trophy. Stick around for our full match preview as we break down this epic heavyweight clash.

Nigeria Guns for Back-to-Back AFCON Finals

The Super Eagles will be playing for redemption after failing to end their ten-year title drought against Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 African Cup of Nations Final. Failing to make back-to-back World Cups for the first time in over two decades only increased the pressure on this star-studded Nigerian team.

They’ve responded to that pressure brilliantly so far, being the only team to win every game up until this point while leading in every major offensive metric as discussed in our Nigeria vs Morocco prediction. The Super Eagles have scored 14 goals (the most), which is three more than Senegal with 11 and six more than the eight in their entire 2023 campaign.

Two of those goals came in the latest 2-0 victory over Algeria, one of the tournament favourites. Nigeria is looking one of its best in recent years under new coach Eric Chelle. And with the kind of form they’re in, the three-time finalists must feel they can lift their first trophy since 2013.

However, to do so, the 38th-ranked Nigeria must beat Morocco, the hosts, Africa’s highest-ranked team (11th), and current world record holders for most wins in a row. It’s going to be an incredibly tough game for both teams, and equally so for sports bettors.

Morocco Aims to Break 50-Year AFCON Title Drought at Home

For Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, there’s only one mission, and it’s winning the AFCON at home, just as Côte d’Ivoire did in 2023. The top betting sites all favour the Atlas Lions to win, and it’s understandable after the kind of performance they’ve pulled over the past two years.

This is arguably the best Morocco side in its football history after climbing to 11th in the FIFA ranking. Although they’ve reached 10th in the past, this team just recently broke Brazil’s record of 13 straight wins for the senior team, setting a new world record of 16.

The record only ended in their 1-1 draw with Mali during the group stages, and the  hosts have since won the following three games, beating Zambia, Tanzania, and Cameroon without conceding a single goal. That’s just the kind of performances Morocco needs to break their nearly fifty-year AFCON title drought after last winning it in 1976.

The Atlas Lions are on track to win it, but that’s only if Nigeria doesn’t have something to say about it in the semifinals. Morocco’s defence has mostly been the difference, with only one goal conceded all tournament (the lowest) and four clean sheets (the most) in five games.

However, Nigeria has proven its ability to crack even the tightest of defences. The Super Eagles scored three against a Tunisia side that just recently set a record for being the first team to qualify for the World Cup without conceding a single goal. Keeping this Nigerian side quiet might be a task too great even for Morocco.