Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic cut a calm but disappointed figure after his team’s 2–0 defeat to Nigeria in the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals, openly acknowledging that the Super Eagles fully deserved their win.
Speaking after the match in Marrakech, he began by congratulating Nigeria and admitted his side never truly imposed themselves on the game.
“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,” Petkovic said, before stressing that he did not want to go into too many details, but that Algeria were “missing a lot of things” on the night.
He explained that Algeria had hoped to control the rhythm but were unable to do so because of Nigeria’s strength, individual quality and physical superiority, especially after the break when Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams struck in the 47th and 57th minutes to decide the tie.
Petkovic added that his players were “disappointed and devastated” but praised their overall tournament, insisting they must keep their heads high, learn from the experience and quickly turn the page toward future competitions.
