Algeria coach Vladimir Petković expressed his disappointment after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a result that ended their run in the tournament.
Despite a strong showing in the group stage and earlier knockout rounds, the North African team was unable to overcome the Super Eagles, who were propelled by goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams.
Petković acknowledged Nigeria’s superiority on the day, praising their performance while reflecting on his team’s struggles.
“I congratulate the Nigerian team, who deserved to win the match. The opponent played better than us. We couldn’t get into the game properly; we had to stay focused,” he said.
“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 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.”
He added that his players were left both disappointed and devastated but urged them to stay positive.
“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,” Petković added.
