Rayan Aït-Nouri Braces For “Very Tough” AFCON 2025 Quarter-Final Clash Against Nigeria
Algeria defender Rayan Aït-Nouri has described his side’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 quarter-final showdown against Nigeria as a “very tough” test, as both teams prepare for a high-stakes encounter in Morocco.
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The North African giants booked their place in the last eight after edging past DR Congo with a narrow victory in the round of 16, while the Super Eagles cruised into the quarter-finals with an emphatic 4–0 win over Mozambique.
Algeria and Nigeria will face off at the Marrakech Stadium on January 10, 2026, with a coveted semi-final spot on the line.
“It will be a very tough match,” Aït-Nouri told reporters. “We know that Nigeria is a strong team, and generally speaking, only the strong teams remain at this stage. It’s sure to be a big game, and we’ll try to prepare for it in the best way possible.”
Reflecting on Algeria’s progression, the Wolves full-back expressed satisfaction with how the Greens navigated a demanding round-of-16 fixture.
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“Honestly, I am satisfied with the way we qualified for the quarter-finals,” he said. “The most important thing was qualifying against a very strong Congolese team. We knew they had outstanding players, and it was a great match.”
Aït-Nouri also praised the team’s mental approach in that encounter, stressing its importance at the business end of the tournament.
“Everyone was mentally present against DR Congo, and in the end, qualification is the most important thing.”
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The quarter-final rekindles a familiar rivalry between the two continental heavyweights.
Their last AFCON meeting came in the semi-finals of the 2019 tournament in Egypt, where Algeria claimed a dramatic 2–1 victory before going on to lift the trophy.
The winner of Saturday’s clash will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the victor of the Morocco vs Cameroon quarter-final, scheduled for Wednesday.
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