It’s not supposed to be like this. Nigeria, for at least two decades, have been a team that huffed and puffed, struggled with the weight of their own history and expectation, seemed always less than the sum of their parts.
Even as they won the tournament in 2013, or got to the final in 2024, the sense of effort was palpable. Nothing came easily to them. They’re not meant to be a side who canter through last-16 ties.
But on a foul night today in Fez, though, the rain leaching across the stadium, Nigeria, inspired by former African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman, produced a performance of emphatic attacking quality and effectively had the game won with two goals before the half hour.
Lookman put them ahead after 20 minutes with his third goal of the tournament, a typical finish into the top corner after a clever cutback from Akor Adams.
Five minutes later, it was Lookman’s cross that Victor Osimhen turned in to make it 2-0.
The same combination added a third two minutes into the second half, and whatever sliver of hope remained for Mozambique was vanquished for good. Adams smashed in a fourth from yet another Lookman assist.
For Nigeria, some things remain always the same. The bonus dispute that led to the players refusing to train two days before their World Cup qualifying playoff against DR Congo seems to have faded away, but their coach Eric Chelle revealed shortly before the tournament that he has not been paid for three months.
There have been the familiar rows as well about media access, a constant sense of background grumbling and disharmony.
But on the pitch, it’s been a refreshingly unusual story. This has been a free-flowing Nigeria. They scored eight goals in winning all three group games but looked extremely open at the back, failing to keep a clean sheet.
The win over Tunisia was perhaps the best example of that as Nigeria raced into a 3-0 lead only to be left clinging on as they conceded twice in the final 16 minutes.
Tonight’s, though, was a far more complete performance.
It was, admittedly, only against Mozambique, who were playing in the knockout phase for the first time in their history and were outclassed. But it was far more impressive than Egypt’s performance earlier in the day: the Pharaohs needed extra-time to see off Benin.
They eventually won 3-1, Mohamed Salah getting the third late in extra-time, the first time he has scored three times in a single Cup of Nations. But this is still a side that is better in potential than in reality. Plenty of champions have developed as the tournament goes on but Egypt have a lot of improving to do if they are to add an eighth Cup of Nations title.
Whether Nigeria have sufficient defensive discipline against better sides remains open to question. But they certainly have the attacking capacity.
Lookman, all pace and darting thrusts, a fine finisher and a fine crosser, and a player capable of scoring from range, has had an excellent tournament, operating as a number 10 behind Osimhen and Akor.
Osimhen remains a top-class centre-forward, his movement and hold-up play exemplary. The way he took his first goal, getting over an awkward bounce to guide in a deft jab, was indicative of his intelligence as a finisher. It’s probably only his injury record that prevented any major Western European club signing him in the big-man summer just gone; he remains at Galatasaray.
Alex Iwobi is a player who divides opinion in Nigeria, in part because he’s been asked to play in pretty much every midfield role for the national team, creating a confused set of expectations. Here, on the left of the midfield three, his composure, positional play and distribution were highlighted, and he links up notably well with Lookman, who tends to drift left.
With Brentford’s Frank Onyeka on the right of the midfield three, though, that leaves Wilfred Ndidi to shoulder a significant amount of the defensive burden.
It’s a very attacking way of playing, very different to Chelle’s Mali side and very different to the Nigeria who ground their way through World Cup qualifying.
This Nigeria is almost unrecognisable from the stodgy team beaten on penalties by DR Congo in that World Cup qualifying playoff. It’s an unsettling change.
The relative underachievement of Nigeria in the Cup of Nations – just three titles for by far the most populous African nation, and one with a deep footballing tradition – is supposed to oppress their players, to hand them the heaviest shirts on the continent. And yet here they are playing with a gleeful abandon.
Will it bring them the fourth title they have desired for so long, pulling them level with their great rivals Ghana?
The defence remains a doubt. But they have the firepower and, for the first time in a long time, there is a simple pleasure in watching their attempt.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Osimhen (left) and Lookman rejoicing after one of the goals.
