There's something deeply Nigerian about what happened in Fès on Monday night. A footballing masterclass wrapped in a telenovela, four goals of surgical precision punctuated by a dressing-room drama that threatens to overshadow everything else. The Super Eagles demolished Mozambique 4-0 to storm into the AFCON quarter-finals, but the images that will linger aren't the goals—it's Victor Osimhen pointing his finger in Ademola Lookman's face, demanding to be substituted, then storming down the tunnel while his teammates huddled on the pitch.
Let's be clear: this was a demolition. Nigeria played Mozambique off the park with a performance that bordered on arrogant at times. The Mambas, experiencing their first-ever knockout match in AFCON history, simply couldn't cope. And yet, here we are, talking about an altercation in the 64th minute rather than celebrating the most dominant display of the round of 16.
The good: clinical doesn't begin to cover it
When Eric Chelle arrived in January 2025, Nigerian fans greeted his appointment with skepticism. A "Ligue 2 veteran," they called him. Eleven months later, his side has rattled in 12 goals in four matches—the tournament's most prolific attack—while looking increasingly cohesive with each game.
Lookman opened the scoring on 20 minutes, slotting home after a delightful sequence involving Alex Iwobi and the increasingly influential Akor Adams. Five minutes later, Osimhen doubled the lead with the kind of predatory finish that made Napoli €100 million richer in 2023. By half-time, Mozambique goalkeeper Siluane looked like a man who'd wandered onto the wrong pitch.
The third came 90 seconds into the second half. Lookman squared for Osimhen, who tapped in at the far post. At this point, Mozambique's historic campaign—their first-ever AFCON victory had come just eight days earlier against Gabon—was officially over. The fairy tale had run its course against African football royalty.
Enter Akor Adams—and a story that cuts deeper
In the 75th minute, Adams—the Sevilla forward who's been quietly brilliant throughout this tournament—unleashed a venomous strike from 15 metres that finally gave him his first AFCON goal. What happened next tells you everything about the man. While most players would have sprinted to the corner flag, Adams celebrated with visible emotion, then spoke afterward about his mother.
"Glory to God for the privilege to have my first AFCON goal," Adams told reporters in the mixed zone. "But the goal is dedicated to my mum. She's supposed to be here, but she's in the hospital right now. She was admitted this morning, but she is much better now."
Adams has been integral to this Nigerian attack—two assists and a goal against Mozambique alone—and his partnership with Osimhen and Lookman has been the tournament's most devastating triumvirate. That he delivered his finest moment while carrying such personal weight speaks volumes about his character.
The elephant in the box: Osimhen's meltdown
Here's where we have to address it. In the 63rd minute, with Nigeria cruising at 3-0 and Osimhen hunting a hat-trick, Lookman delayed a pass. Or didn't pass at all. The cameras caught Osimhen's reaction—finger pointing, a verbal volley delivered in pidgin ("No try am again," which roughly translates to "Don't try that again"), and a visible rage that required Wilfred Ndidi and, bizarrely, Mozambique's Reinildo Mandava to intervene.
Four minutes later, Osimhen gestured to the bench. He wanted off. Chelle obliged, sending on Moses Simon. The Galatasaray striker walked toward the tunnel to boos from Nigerian supporters in the stands. He didn't join his teammates for the post-match celebration.
This is the same Osimhen who stormed off after being substituted in the group stage. The same Osimhen who has delivered three goals and three assists in this tournament. Brilliance and volatility, packaged together.
Lookman, named man of the match with a goal and two assists, handled the post-match questioning with diplomatic grace. "I have not seen him, but I don't think that matters," he said. "Vic is our number one guy. Everybody knows this. He's a top striker. All of that is not important."
Chelle, meanwhile, shut it down entirely: "This is a question about my management, and what happened on the pitch will stay in the group. I don't need to tell anyone what happened."
The tactical reality: Nigeria are devastating on the front foot
Set aside the drama, and what Chelle has built here is genuinely impressive. Nigeria dominated possession at 61%, attempted 17 shots with 9 on target, and restricted Mozambique to just three efforts all game. The back four—Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Bassey, and Onyemaechi—finally kept a clean sheet after conceding in all three group games.
Chelle singled out Iwobi in his post-match analysis: "Some players can smell the football. Iwobi has a high IQ—he sees the game before other players, and he is technically very good." The Fulham man has indeed been the conductor of this Nigerian orchestra, his three assists reflecting a deeper influence on proceedings.
The 4-3-1-2 system Chelle favours gives Nigeria width through the full-backs while concentrating firepower centrally. Against Mozambique, it was devastating. Whether it holds up against Algeria or DR Congo—whoever emerges from Tuesday's Round of 16—remains the question.
A word for Mozambique
The Mambas' AFCON journey ends here, but what a story they've written. Before December 28th, they had never won an AFCON match in 16 attempts spanning decades. Their 3-2 victory over Gabon changed that, and qualifying for the knockout stage for the first time in their history was already a triumph.
Reinildo and his defensive partners were simply overwhelmed on Monday, but Chiquinho Conde's side can return home with pride. They pushed Cameroon and Ivory Coast close in the group stage. They've announced themselves on the continental stage. This won't be the last we hear of them.
What happens next?
Nigeria face Algeria or DR Congo on Sunday in the quarter-finals. On paper, they're favourites for the title—the attacking numbers don't lie, and Chelle has extracted commitment from a squad that failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup just weeks ago.
But that image of Osimhen, finger raised, storming past the celebrations, lingers. Can a squad win AFCON with this kind of tension simmering beneath the surface? Nigerian football has produced miracles before—the 1994 squad wasn't exactly a band of brothers either. Perhaps friction is the fuel this team needs.
Or perhaps it's a ticking time bomb waiting for a moment of maximum pressure to explode.
Either way, we'll be watching.