Victor Osimhen may have walked away with the Man of the Match award, but for Nigeria’s talismanic forward, the bigger picture mattered far more than personal headlines.
The Super Eagles striker scored once and laid on another as Nigeria defeated Algeria 2–0 to book their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, yet Victor Osimhen was quick to shift the focus back to collective effort.
“I scored and assisted, but this is not about me,” Victor Osimhen told CAF after the match. “It’s about the team. We played against a very good Algerian side with a lot of quality players, and everyone gave everything for the national team.”
Drawing from his experience at previous AFCON tournaments, the forward highlighted maturity and influence over mere numbers.
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“At this level, it’s not just about scoring decisive goals. It’s about how you influence the game and how you help the team win. That’s what matters most when you wear the national colours. I’m always working to improve myself, mentally and physically.”
On the touchline, Nigeria head coach, Eric Sékou Chelle, cut the figure of a satisfied but focused leader, praising his players while already turning his attention to the challenge ahead.
“The players are very happy, and I am extremely proud of them,” Chelle said. “We enjoyed this match. Since I took over, we have worked very hard in our preparation, and today, you could see my ideas clearly implemented on the pitch.”
Chelle insisted Nigeria’s victory was fully deserved and underlined the need to maintain momentum as the tournament reaches its decisive stage.
“This was a fantastic performance against a strong opponent. We deserved the win. Now, we move on and prepare for the next game. Morocco are a very strong team, they are the hosts, and there will be pressure. But we will prepare well and give everything.”
Even in defeat, Algeria’s head coach Vladimir Petković acknowledged Nigeria’s superiority on the night.
“Nigeria deserved to win,” Petković admitted. “They were better than us. We wanted to control the game, but Nigeria prevented that. They showed their individual quality and were stronger physically.”
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