Nigeria vs Mozambique: Super Eagles Face Mambas in AFCON 2025 Round of 16

By: Abudu Olalekan

The room fell silent. Screens blinked. Everyone held their breath. Nigeria vs Mozambique. It’s official. January 5th. Fez. A date circled in red. No turning back now.

The news dropped like a stone in water. Wednesday night. Match day three just wrapped. And there it was — the Round of 16 draw. Plain. Simple. Unavoidable. The Super Eagles will battle Mozambique’s Mambas at 19:00 GMT. In Morocco’s ancient city of Fez. A place where history hums in the walls. Now it’ll echo with roars.

This isn’t just another game. It’s knockout football. Win or go home. Nigeria comes in hot. Three matches. Three wins. Zero slips. They topped Group C like champions should. Tunisia? Check. Tanzania? Check. Both trailed behind. Far behind. The Super Eagles didn’t just win — they dominated. Momentum is theirs. And they know it.

Mozambique? They snuck in. Third place in Group F. Behind Cameroon and Ivory Coast. But don’t let that fool you. The Mambas bite hard. They fought like lions to grab that last spot. Now they stand in Nigeria’s way. A hurdle. A test. A threat no one should ignore.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has been wild so far. And it’s about to get wilder. The Round of 16 kicks off January 3rd. Runs through the 6th. Six cities host it — Fez, Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakesh. Morocco’s pride spread across its lands.

Sixteen teams made the cut. Here’s how it broke down:

Group A: Morocco, Mali
Group B: Egypt, South Africa
Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Tanzania
Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin
Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Sudan
Group F: Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mozambique
Look at that list. Heavyweights everywhere. Nigeria’s path? Tricky. But the players? They’re ready. Coach speaks of focus. Fans speak of glory.

Let’s break down the fixtures. Dates matter. Times matter. Because every detail counts.

January 3 – Saturday
Senegal takes on Group E’s third-place team in Tangier. 16:00 GMT. A clash of titans already. Then Mali faces Tunisia same day. Casablanca. 19:00 GMT. North African rivalry. Spiced up.

January 4 – Sunday
Morocco plays Tanzania. Rabat. 16:00 GMT. Hosts won’t hold back. South Africa meets Group F’s second-place team. Also Rabat. 19:00 GMT. Pressure? You bet.

January 5 – Monday
Here it is. The big one. Egypt vs Benin at 16:00 GMT in Agadir. Then Nigeria vs Mozambique. Fez. 19:00 GMT. Monday night lights. The world watches.

January 6 – Tuesday
Algeria battles DR Congo. Rabat. 16:00 GMT. And the final tie: Group F’s winner vs Group E’s runner-up. Marrakesh. 19:00 GMT. A finale to the round.

Knockout football has no room for error. Tie after 90 minutes? Extra time comes. Still tied? Penalties. Simple. Brutal. Fair.

Nigeria’s squad knows this well. They’ve been here before. In 2023 they stumbled. This time? Different story. The team trains harder. The coach yells louder. Fans pray longer. Everyone wants it. Badly.

Safiyya, a fan in Lagos, said it plain: “We waited too long for this moment. No excuses.” She’s not alone. Markets pause when games start. Streets empty. Phones buzz nonstop.

Mozambique isn’t new to upsets. In 2021 they shocked Ghana. Nobody forgot that. Their coach, Carlos, told reporters: “We came here to fight. Not just play.” His words hang heavy. Nigeria’s defense must listen.

The Super Eagles have stars. Bright ones. Victor Osimhen leads the charge. His boots carry hope. His strikes carry fear. But Mozambique has heart. They run. They tackle. They never quit. It’ll be a battle. Pure and simple.

Fez’s stadium holds 45,000 people. Every seat will fill. Nigerian flags. Mozambican colors. A sea of noise. Children will scream. Elders will chant. The air will shake.

What about tactics? Nigeria’s midfield needs control. Pass quick. Move fast. Don’t let Mozambique set traps. Defense must stay sharp. No silly errors. Goalkeeper? He better catch everything.

Mozambique’s plan is clear. Defend deep. Counter hard. Use speed on the wings. Make Nigeria nervous. It’s worked before. Against bigger teams. Why not now?

Reportersroom followed every step of this journey. We saw the group matches. The sweat. The tears. The joy. This Round of 16 feels different. Tighter. More urgent.

People ask: Can Nigeria win AFCON again? Last time was 2013. Too long ago. Players hear that question daily. It fuels them. It burns. They want to erase the wait. With wins. Big ones.

January 5th isn’t far. Countdowns tick. Social media explodes. Memes fly. Predictions flood in. Some say Nigeria wins 2-0. Others swear Mozambique pulls a shock. Truth? No one knows. That’s the beauty.

The team left camp early Thursday. Buses rolled out. Suitcases packed. Focus locked. They know what’s at stake. Legacy. Pride. History.

A local vendor near Fez’s stadium summed it up: “Big game always brings big moments. Someone will cry. Someone will dance.” He smiled. Wiped dust off a Nigeria shirt. “Sell fast. Sell lots.”

Reportersroom will cover every second. From warm-ups to final whistle. We believe stories matter. Not just scores. The human side. The nerves. The roar when a goal hits net.

Remember 2025 AFCON started as a dream. Now it’s real. Raw. Alive. And on Monday night Fez becomes ground zero. For Nigeria’s hopes. For Mozambique’s courage.

No one sleeps easy till it’s over. Because in knockout stages anything happens. Always does.

Visit reportersroom.com/afcon-nigeria now for live updates. See how the story unfolds. Feel every pulse of this beautiful chaos.

The sun will set that day. Lights will shine bright. And two teams will walk onto that field. One dream will live. One will die. That’s football. That’s life. That’s AFCON.