16 hours ago
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22 min: Ramy Bensebaini carelessly gives the ball away with his free kick. Nigeria pounce as it reaches Ademola Lookman. The winger cuts in and smashes his shot straight at Luca Zidane.
2o min: Riyad Mahrez takes down the ball expertly on the right before Onyemaechi fouls him.
18 min: Alex Iwobi is playing in the quarterback role again today. He tries to play one of his defence splitting balls but his teammates aren’t on the same wavelength and he loses possession.
12 min: Algeria are getting a foothold in the game now. The midfield four string together a few passes neatly before the Nigeria defence cut it out.
9 min: There’s more early pressure from Nigeria. Frank Onyeka meets a cross on the volley but he struggles to hit it with any conviction. Algeria clear the ball off the line.
7 min: Nigeria have taken control of the early proceedings. They have another corner which Lookman duly delivers into the box. Osimhen meets it but the striker heads it well over the bar.
4 min: Bruno Onyemaechi links up well with Victor Osimhen on the left. Onyemaechi’s cross is too deep but Algeria head it out for a corner.
1 min: Nigeria win an early free kick. It’s whipped in to the back post but Semi Ajayi heads the ball over the bar.
Kick off
Here we go. Nigeria get us under way, kicking from left to right.
There teams are out and singing their national anthems. This is for a place in the semi-final against Morocco.
Nigeria were starting to click before Osimhen’s outburst. Osasu Obayiuwana wrote about the importance of Nigeria’s talisman.
Team news
Algeria XI: Zidane, Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Aït-Nouri, Boudaoui, Bennacer, Chaïbi, Mahrez, Maza, Amoura
Subs: Abdelli, Atal, Bakrar, Belaïd, Benbot, Berkane, Boulbina, Bounedjah, Dorval, Hadj Moussa, Kebbal, Mandréa, Zerrouki, Zorgane
Nigeria XI: Nwabali, Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Bassey, Onyemaechi, Onyeka, Ndidi, Iwobi, Lookman, Adams, Osimhen
Subs: Akinsanmiro, Awaziem, Chukwueze, Dele-Bashiru, Ejuke, Lawal, Nnadi, Obasogie Ogbu, Onuachu, Onyedika, Sanusi, Simon, Usman, Uzoho
Preamble
Hello and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of Algeria v Nigeria in the quarter-final of AFCON. Despite both teams’ 100% records in the tournament so far, the build up to this match has been mired in controversy.
Algeria beat DR Congo in the round of 16 with a last minute winner in extra time. In the celebrations of Adil Boulbina’s winner, fellow teammate Mohamed Amoura mimicked the stance of Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a Congolese super fan who has been paying tribute to the first prime minister of the Democratic of Congo Patrice Lumumba and his statue in Kinshasa, before falling to the ground. Amoura subsequently apologised and the Algerian Football Association presented Mboladinga with an Algeria shirt with Lumumba’s name printed on the back.
Meanwhile, Nigeria beat Mozambique 4-0 in their round of 16 tie but analysis of that match was overshadowed by an argument between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. Osimhen berated his teammate midway through the second half seemingly for failing to pass to him. Lookman, who has been one of the best players at the tournament, played down the incident. He said: “It’s just football.”
Speaking of which, we should be in for a brilliant game that will see Algeria’s resolute defence come up against Nigeria’s firepower up front. Kick off is at 4pm. Send me an email with your thoughts.
