AFCON 2025: Nigeria vs Morocco – Full stats, records and history (semi-final)

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.