Marrakech will host a heavyweight showdown on Saturday as Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Algeria’s Fennecs collide in a quarter-final clash that carries more than just a semi-final ticket at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations.
It will be the 23rd time both sides are meeting at senior level, and the rivalry, now over five decades old has never lacked drama. From shocking defeats and stunning comebacks to controversial stalemates and title-deciding finals, Nigeria and Algeria have shared a history filled with tension and unforgettable moments.
This will be their 10th meeting at the AFCON finals, with Algeria narrowly ahead in previous encounters. Two of those meetings remain etched in AFCON folklore, Nigeria’s victory over the Fennecs in the 1980 final to lift their first continental title, and Algeria’s revenge act in 1990, when they defeated the Super Eagles to claim their maiden crown on home soil.
The rivalry has also shaped World Cup destinies. Algeria’s shock 2–0 win in Lagos in 1981 knocked Nigeria out of qualifying, while the Super Eagles had their own sweet revenge in 1993, overturning an early deficit in Lagos before holding Algeria in Algiers to seal their first-ever World Cup ticket to USA ’94.
There was also the controversial 0–0 draw in 1984 that eliminated defending champions Ghana, and the heartbreak of 2019, when Riyad Mahrez’s late free-kick ended Nigeria’s AFCON dream in the semi-final.
Now, with history staring both teams in the face once again, Marrakech is braced for another explosive chapter as two African giants fight for survival, pride and a place in the last four.
