AFCON Quarters: Titans Hold Their Nerve, Eagles Find Their Voice

Goals Win Headlines, Efficiency Wins Games
AFCON 2025’s knockout phase has validated Africa’s attacking elites, but none more clinically than Nigeria. Six nations have now advanced to the quarter-finals: Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Cameroon, Mali, and Egypt.

Early Quarter-Finalists: What the Numbers and Moments Say

Senegal 3–1 Sudan — The Unbroken Machine
Senegal progressed first, extending their AFCON unbeaten run and underlining a key tournament insight: they don’t dominate stats, they dominate moments that matter.

Mali 1–1 Tunisia (5–4 pens) — Tactical Defiance
Mali’s 10-man resilience forced Tunisia into tactical repetition before penalties delivered the verdict. Goalkeeper Djigui Diarra was the hinge between survival and progression.

Morocco 1–0 Tanzania — Dominance Without Cushion
Morocco advanced through control, not chaos. Brahim Díaz’s strike delivered the result, but the 1-goal margin continued Morocco’s AFCON pattern: tactical superiority without scoreline insulation.

Cameroon 2–1 South Africa — The Familiar Knockout Instinct
Cameroon once again leaned on tournament psychology and veteran timing. Aboubakar’s 76th-minute winner highlighted their defining strength: familiarity with AFCON pressure.

Egypt 3–1 Benin (AET) — Salah the Poet, the Closer
Salah scored with the final kick of extra time, sealing Egypt’s quarter-final ticket and reminding Africa why legends matter in knockout games.

Nigeria 4–0 Mozambique — The Most Dangerous Attack in Africa
Nigeria delivered AFCON’s most dominant knockout performance so far. Victor Osimhen scored twice, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi added the balance, and Nigeria finished the Round of 16 averaging a goal every 5.25 shots — the highest strike efficiency in the tournament.

Final Path
Quarter-final fixtures confirmed so far:

• Mali vs Senegal – 9 January

• Cameroon vs Morocco – 9 January

The remaining AFCON grid awaits completion after Tuesday games.