Super Eagles Leave Fès With AFCON Milestones
The Super Eagles will depart Fès with unforgettable memories after completing their stay in the city that hosted Nigeria’s group stage and first knockout round matches at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations, reports Complete Sports newspaper.
Though the competition now moves on, Nigeria’s time at the 45,000-capacity Complexe Sportif de Fès has already been etched into AFCON history.
Their high-scoring campaign delivered a string of milestones: winning their first four games in open play at an AFCON, qualifying for the quarterfinals for the 12th time since the stage was introduced in 1992, and recording their 62nd victory in the competition, second only to Egypt’s 63.
Nigeria’s attacking power was unmatched, with 12 goals in their first four matches, the highest tally ever in an AFCON group phase.
They also scored at least twice in each of those games, another first in their tournament history, and extended their scoring streak to 11 consecutive AFCON fixtures, the longest ever by the Super Eagles.
Individual brilliance added further gloss. Akor Adams and Ademola Lookman became only the second pair of teammates since 2010 to each be directly involved in three goals in a single AFCON match, emulating Algeria’s Islam Slimani and Adam Ounas in 2019.
Lookman’s display against Tunisia made him just the second Nigerian since 2010 to achieve that feat, following Odion Ighalo in 2019. Paul Onuachu also entered the record books as the 70th Nigerian to score at the tournament, more than any other nation.
Nigeria’s early blitz against Mozambique, with two goals inside the opening 25 minutes, was another historic first: the first time in the 21st century, and the first time ever in a knockout match, that the Super Eagles had struck twice so quickly.
As the team departs Fès, they do so with a collection of records that underline their dominance and ensure their stay in the city will be remembered as one of the most historic chapters in Nigeria’s AFCON journey.
Fès itself, one of Morocco’s largest cities, lies northwest of the Atlas Mountains, surrounded by hills and centered around the Fez River.
Known as the ‘Mecca of the West’ and the ‘Athens of Africa,’ it is regarded as Morocco’s spiritual and cultural capital, a fitting stage for Nigeria’s record-breaking run.
