Petković Admits Nigeria Were Superior After Algeria’s AFCON 2025 Exit

Algeria head coach Vladimir Petković has conceded that Nigeria were the better side after the Super Eagles ended his team’s Africa Cup of Nations 2025 campaign with a 2–0 victory in the quarterfinals.

Speaking after the match in Marrakech, Petković congratulated Nigeria and acknowledged that his players struggled to impose themselves.

‘I congratulate the Nigerian team, who deserved to win the match. The opponent played better than us. We couldn’t get into the game properly; we had to stay focused,’ he said.

Petković admitted that Algeria were missing key elements in their performance and were unable to match Nigeria’s intensity.

‘We wanted to control the game, but the opponent was strong and prevented us from doing so. The Nigerian team showed the individual skills they possess, and physically we were behind. We tried to come back in the second half, but we couldn’t reach the level we wanted in attack.’

The defeat was Algeria’s first of the tournament, having previously gone unbeaten in the group stage and round of 16.

Nigeria, meanwhile, extended their remarkable record in AFCON quarterfinals to 11 wins in 12 appearances since 1992, with goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams sealing their place in the semifinals against host nation Morocco.

Petković admitted the loss was hard to take for his squad.

‘Our players are disappointed and devastated after the match. They performed well in this tournament. Now the competition is over, and another tournament is coming. We must keep our heads high after this exit.’