AFCON's Unexpected Moment: Moroccans Erupt for Joy as Nigeria Beats Algeria
- Nigeria defeated Algeria 2–0 at AFCON, with Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams scoring at the Grande Stade de Marrakech
- A viral video showed Moroccans in a local bar cheering passionately for the Super Eagles despite none being Nigerian
- Post-match tensions flared as Algerian players confronted officials over a denied penalty, sparking debates online
A young man has recorded the reactions of Moroccans during the AFCON quarter-finals between Nigeria's Super Eagles and Algeria's Desert Foxes at the Grande Stade de Marrakech on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
The Super Eagles dominated the Desert Foxes throughout the encounter, as their opponents failed to register a shot on target in the entire duration of the match until the 80th minute.
Source: UGC
Algeria was defeated by two goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams, with head coach Vladimir Petkovic applauding the Super Eagles' strength and his team's shortcomings.
“I don’t want to go into too many details, but Nigeria was better than us. We were missing a lot of things. We wanted to control the game, but the opponent was strong and prevented us from doing so," he said.
This victory has made Nigeria advance to the semi-final. During the match, however, a video captured the moment a group of grown men at a Moroccan bar were watching the match live on the TV.
Source: AFP
In the video shared on TikTok by garyalsmiths, the Moroccans were seen shouting for joy and cheering on in support of the Super Eagles. According to the TikToker, none of them were Nigerians.
He captured the video, saying:
"When you are watching Nigerian supporters in a Moroccan bar, and none of them are remotely Nigerian."
Watch the TikTok video below:
AFCON: Algerian fans' hot reaction goes viral
Unfortunately, after the match, some Algerian players and officials vented their anger and frustration on Issa Sy, the Senegalese referee who officiated the game, and his team of officials.
The Algerians confronted the match officials, and their aggression escalated into a massive on-field brawl that included a few Nigerian players.
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AFCON: Algerian man’s hot reaction goes viral after referee denies penalty in Nigeria Clash
Speaking on the incident via his Instagram page, a referee and instructor known as Victor explained why Algeria didn't get a penalty for the handball on Ajayi, quoting IFAB law.
Wearing a black Adidas shirt with a referee badge, Victor said while analysing the video,
"The defender (Nigerian player) initially had his arm in a natural position, but extended it after playing the ball. However, the ball first touched his leg before his arm, so per IFAB rules, it's not a handball offense. This is why the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) didn't intervene, even though the ball's trajectory might have hit the arm anyway."
AFCON semi-final: Super Eagles to face Morocco
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Super Eagles of Nigeria would face the Atlas Lions of Morocco in the AFCON 2025 semi-final after beating Algeria.
Morocco defeated five-time champions, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, in the quarter-final, thanks to goals from Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
