The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 reaches its most decisive stage on Wednesday when Nigeria take on hosts Morocco in a heavyweight semi-final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat (21:00 local time / 20:00 GMT).
It is a clash loaded with history, form and contrasting narratives: Nigeria chasing a fourth AFCON title, Morocco seeking a first continental crown since 1976, and both sides arriving unbeaten at the tournament.
Tournament form: unbeaten giants collide
Nigeria enter the semi-final with a perfect record, having won all five matches at AFCON 2025. Morocco are also unbeaten, recording four wins and one draw.
Nigeria’s attacking output has been exceptional:
- 5 matches played
- 5 wins
- 14 goals scored (highest at a single AFCON edition in Nigeria’s history)
- At least 2 goals scored in every match – achieved only once before (AFCON 2000)
- Only Egypt (1974, 2010) and Nigeria (2000, 2025) have scored 2+ goals in each of their first five AFCON games
- Shot conversion rate: 21% – best at the tournament
- No shots on target conceded in the quarter-final win vs Algeria
Morocco’s strength has been control and defensive solidity:
- 4 clean sheets – most by Morocco at a single AFCON
- Yassine Bounou becomes the first Moroccan goalkeeper to keep 4 clean sheets at AFCON
- 5 set-piece goals, more than any team at AFCON 2025
- 4 wins at a single edition for the first time since 2004
- 96 total AFCON goals in Morocco’s tournament history
Head-to-head record: Nigeria vs Morocco
This will be the 12th meeting between the two nations in all competitions.
Overall record
- Nigeria: P11 W3 D2 L6 GF8 GA14
- Morocco: P11 W6 D2 L3 GF14 GA8
AFCON-only meetings
- Played: 5
- Nigeria wins: 2
- Morocco wins: 3
- Draws: 0
- Goals: Nigeria 5, Morocco 6
All five AFCON meetings have produced a winner.
Past AFCON meetings
- 1976 Group Stage: Morocco 3–1 Nigeria
- 1976 Final Round: Morocco 2–1 Nigeria
- 1980 Semi-final: Nigeria 1–0 Morocco (Felix Owolabi 9’)
- 2000 Group Stage: Nigeria 2–0 Morocco (Finidi George, Julius Aghahowa)
- 2004 Group Stage: Morocco 1–0 Nigeria (Youssef Hadji)
This is their second AFCON semi-final meeting. Nigeria won the first in 1980, a result that propelled them to their first AFCON title.
Nigeria vs AFCON host nations: a difficult history
Nigeria have faced host or co-host nations 10 times at AFCON:
- W3 D3 L4
In knockout rounds against hosts:
- Matches: 5
- Wins: 1 (vs Mali, 2002 third-place match)
- Losses in open play: 3 (Algeria 1990 final, Ghana 2008 QF, Côte d’Ivoire 2023 final)
- Penalty shoot-out losses: 1 (Tunisia 2004 semi-final)
This is Nigeria’s third direct knockout match against a host nation.
Nigeria’s AFCON semi-final pedigree
- Record-extending 16th AFCON semi-final
- Semi-final record: P15 W8 L7
- 8 semi-final wins (4 in open play, 4 on penalties)
- 7 semi-final defeats (6 in open play, 1 on penalties)
- 8 AFCON penalty shoot-outs won (6 victories – joint most with Egypt)
- Seeking a 9th AFCON final appearance, which would equal Ghana’s all-time record
- Previous finals: 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2013
Nigeria have reached five semi-finals in their last six AFCON appearances (2013, 2019, 2023, 2025).
Morocco’s semi-final journey and host ambition
Morocco are appearing in the AFCON semi-finals for the fifth time:
- 1980
- 1986
- 1988
- 2004
- 2025
Key semi-final trends:
- All previous Moroccan semi-finals decided in open play
- All three semi-final defeats were by 1–0 scorelines
- Only one semi-final win (2004)
- All teams that eliminated Morocco in a semi-final went on to win the title
- Victory would take Morocco to their second AFCON final and first in 21 years
- Would become the 15th host nation to reach an AFCON final
- Could become the second successive host to reach the final
Key players shaping the semi-final
Nigeria
- Victor Osimhen:
- 4 goals at AFCON 2025
- 9 goal involvements (4 goals, 5 assists)
- 3 knockout goals at this edition
- Nigeria have never lost an AFCON match in which he scored or assisted
Morocco
- Brahim Díaz:
- 5 goals at AFCON 2025
- First player to score in five consecutive matches since 2021
- One goal shy of Ahmed Faras’ AFCON record for Morocco
What is at stake
Nigeria are chasing:
- A fourth AFCON title
- A first consecutive final appearance
- A record-equalling ninth final
Morocco are chasing:
- A first AFCON title since 1976
- A home final in Rabat
- A place in their third senior CAF final in under a year
With Nigeria’s relentless scoring power and Morocco’s tactical discipline under Walid Regragui, Wednesday’s semi-final promises to be a defining night in AFCON 2025 — where history, pressure and ambition collide.
