Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has outlined Nigeria's confident approach as they prepare for a high-stakes quarterfinal showdown against Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The crucial match is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Marrakech.
No Revenge Mission, Just Focus on Progress
In a viral video shared on social media platform X, the Paris FC forward made it clear that the Nigerian squad is not driven by thoughts of revenge for past defeats. Instead, the focus is purely on performance and continuous improvement. Simon highlighted the team's upward trajectory, evidenced by their convincing 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16.
"First and foremost, I will say that we don't have anything about revenge in our mindset," Simon stated. "We just want to play. We are a team that works every day to progress and to win due to our mentality."
Confidence Against North African Opposition
The 30-year-old expressed strong belief in Nigeria's ability to handle North African teams, pointing to their group-stage success against Tunisia as a key reference point. Both Nigeria and Algeria entered this knockout stage with perfect records, having each won all three of their group matches.
"I cannot tell you that the Algerian team, the North African teams are teams that are giving us trouble because we, too, are a team that gives them trouble," Simon asserted. "We just kick them out. I think not the last game we beat the Tunisian team. Of course, the Tunisian team are one of the best in Africa."
A New, Motivated Generation of Eagles
Simon, who was part of the Nigerian squad that lost to Algeria in the semifinals of the 2019 AFCON, emphasized that the current team carries a different mentality. He described a squad filled with younger players eager to make their mark on the continental stage.
"We are aware, I was there also when they kicked us out in the semifinals in 2019," he recalled. "There is a different mindset and different players... We have a lot of young players who want to make names for themselves. We are motivated, we want to win; this is our goal."
The winner of this blockbuster quarterfinal will advance to face either tournament hosts Morocco or Cameroon in the semifinals. Nigeria, the West African giants, are aiming to win their fourth AFCON title in 13 years, a campaign that has gained added significance after the team's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
