Soccer
Super Eagles players celebrate + pip of Samir Nasri (Photos by Imago)
Former Arsenal and Manchester City star Samir Nasri has hailed the Super Eagles of Nigeria following their 2-0 victory over Algeria in the quarterfinal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria sealed a spot in the semifinals of AFCON 2025 with a dominant win over the Fennec Foxes of Algeria on Saturday.
In the build-up to the game, there were talks about it potentially being the match of the round due to Algeria’s performances in their previous games.
Before the fixture, Vladimir Petkovic’s team was the joint-best defensive side in Morocco, having conceded just one goal in their previous four games.
They also possessed very talented players across all areas of the pitch. However, Eric Chelle’s team made very light work of them.
0 – Algeria did not attempt a single shot in the first half of a CAF Africa Cup of Nations match for the first time in 30 games since Opta began analysing the competition (2010). Silenced. #AFCON2025 #ALGNIG pic.twitter.com/f5IXIEh4vi
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) January 10, 2026
The Super Eagles saw 57% of the ball and recorded an xG of 3.36, compared to Algeria’s 0.13. In fact, in the first half of the game, Algeria’s xG was 0.
The Fennec Foxes had just three goal attempts compared to Nigeria’s 13; they also managed only 10 touches in Nigeria’s box compared to the Super Eagles’ 41 in theirs.
Nigeria could have scored as many as five in Marrakech if they had taken all their clear-cut chances on the night.
Samir Nasri Praises Super Eagles After Algeria Win
Following the victory, former Manchester City and Arsenal man Samir Nasri took to social media to hail Nigeria.
Recall that Nasri played for France at international level during his career, but he is of Algerian descent.
Naturally, he would have been supporting the Fennec Foxes, but Nigeria’s performance was too good for him to ignore.
On his X page, he wrote: “Bravo to the Nigerian team, very impressive in terms of physical athleticism and tactical play. Well deserved based on the content of the match.”
Next up for the three-time African champions is a tough battle against hosts Morocco. It promises to be their toughest test yet at AFCON 2025.
Nonetheless, Eric Chelle’s lads have proven that they can take on anyone in this tournament, and they will be hoping to get the win.
Kelvin Omachonu
Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.
Read MoreKelvin Omachonu