Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Algeria’s Desert Warriors are on course to become the only two teams to finish the group stage of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia with maximum points.
Both sides secured qualification for the round of 16 after just two group matches, winning their opening two fixtures to seal early progression.
Drawn in Group C, the Super Eagles claimed victories over Tanzania and Tunisia to move to six points and confirm their place in the knockout phase. Algeria, competing in Group E, opened their campaign with a convincing 3–0 win over Sudan before edging Burkina Faso 1–0 in their second group match.
The Super Eagles will face Uganda in their final group game, while Algeria will play Equatorial Guinea.
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Elsewhere, hosts Morocco and Egypt have also booked their places in the round of 16, finishing as group winners after recording two wins and a draw in Groups A and B, respectively. In Group D, either Senegal or DR Congo could top the standings, but even with victories in their final fixtures, both sides would finish with two wins and one draw. Senegal face Benin, while DR Congo take on Botswana.
A similar scenario exists in Group F, where Cameroon and defending champions Ivory Coast both have the chance to finish top if they secure wins against Mozambique and Gabon, respectively.
Nigeria last completed an AFCON group stage with maximum points at the 2021 tournament in Cameroon, while Algeria last achieved the feat in 2019, going on to lift the trophy in Egypt.
For the Desert Warriors, this marks a significant turnaround after disappointing recent outings. Algeria failed to win a single match at the last AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, exiting the group stage with two draws and a defeat, and also crashed out early at the 2021 finals in Cameroon with two losses and one draw.
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