As Nigeria and hosts, Morocco prepare to take the centre stage in this year’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-final showdown on Wednesday, the stakes are undoubtedly quite high.
While the Super Eagles are bidding for a fourth AFCON title, their opponents, Atlas Lions are gunning for their first trophy victory since 1976.
In this last four showpiece holding inside the resplendent Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday, 14th January at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT), both countries have remained undefeated in the competition so far.
Nigeria has won all five of their games, while Morocco have recorded four wins and a draw. Interestingly, both sides will be meeting at the AFCON for the sixth time with all five previous meetings having always produced a winner.
Wednesday’s encounter will be their first meeting in 22 years at AFCON and the second time they face each other in the tournament’s semi-final stage.
Available records indicate that four of their previous five AFCON meetings came in the group stages in 1976 (two games), 2000 and 2004.
They first met at AFCON in 1976 in the group stages, with Morocco winning both matches 3-1 and 2-1 on their way to their first and only title.
This is their second meeting in the Semi-finals. Nigeria won the previous clash in 1980, triumphing 1-0 with Felix ‘Owoblow’ Owolabi scoring the winner in the 9th minute en route to the Super Eagles’ first continental title.
They met again in 2000 when Nigeria eliminated Morocco in their final Group D game, winning 2-0, with Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa scoring for the Super Eagles.
Their last AFCON meeting came in the group stages in 2004, when Morocco won 1-0 in their opening Group D match, Youssef Hadji scoring the only goal in the 77th minute.
Nigeria have faced the host or co-host nation on ten previous occasions, with their record against hosts reading P10 W3 D3 L4.
Nigeria meet AFCON hosts for a second tournament in a row, having faced Côte d’Ivoire in the group stages and the final in 2023, winning 1-0 in the group stage and losing 2-1 in the final.
Nigeria also defeated tournament hosts in 2002, winning the third-place match against Mali 1-0, and recorded a group-stage win over Senegal in 1992 by a 2-1 scoreline.
Nigeria have lost four times against hosts: twice against Algeria in 1990 (group stage and final), as well as defeats to Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals and Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Final.
Nigeria have drawn three times against hosts: in 1978 against Ghana, in 2002 against Mali in the group stages, and in 2004 against Tunisia in the Semi-finals (1-1), before losing on penalties.
In the knockout rounds at AFCON, Nigeria have faced hosts five times, winning only once against Mali in the 2002 third-place match. They have lost three times in open play against Algeria in the 1990 Final, Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals and Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Final, and lost on penalties to Tunisia in 2004.
This is Nigeria’s third direct knockout match against a host team, having previously lost to Tunisia on penalties in the 2004 Semi-finals and to Ghana in the 2008 Quarter-finals.
Overall, this is their 12th meeting, with Morocco holding the upper hand with six wins to Nigeria’s three, with two draws.
Both draws ended 0-0 and came in qualification for the 1984 AFCON in the second round over two legs, with Nigeria progressing after winning a penalty shoot-out following a goalless aggregate.
Seven of the 11 goals scored in their previous five AFCON meetings have come in the second half.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
OVERALL
Nigeria: P11 W3 D2 L6 GF8 GA14 GD-6
Morocco: P11 W6 D2 L3 GF14 GA8 GD+6
AFCON ONLY
Nigeria: P5 W2 D0 L3 GF5 GA6 GD-1
Morocco: P5 W3 D0 L2 GF6 GA5 GD+1
PAST AFCON MEETINGS
1976 – Group A – First Group Stage, 6 March 1976
Morocco 3 (Faras 8’, Tazi 19’, Chebbak 81’) Nigeria 1 (Ojebode 81’)
1976 – Final Round, 11 March 1976
Morocco 2 (Faras 82’, Guezzar 87’) Nigeria 1 (Mohammed 57’)
1980 – Semi-finals, 19 March 1980
Nigeria 1 (Owolabi 9’) Morocco 0
2000 – Group D, 3 February 2000
Nigeria 2 (George 28’, Aghahowa 81’) Morocco 0
2004 – Group D, 27 January 2004
Nigeria 0 Morocco 1 (Hadji 77’) – With CAFonline.com report
