Nigeria’s attacking stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are poised to put the flawless record of Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane to the test when both sides clash in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Morocco.
Zidane, son of French football legend Zinedine Zidane, is the only first-choice goalkeeper among the eight remaining teams yet to concede a goal at the tournament. However, the 27-year-old faces a daunting task in Marrakesh on Saturday against two of the competition’s most in-form forwards.
Former African Footballer of the Year winners Osimhen and Lookman have been central to Nigeria’s campaign, scoring three goals each as the Super Eagles emerged as the tournament’s leading scorers with 12 goals.
Zidane kept clean sheets against Sudan and Burkina Faso in the group stage before being rested for the match against Equatorial Guinea. He returned for the last-16 encounter with DR Congo, once again denying the opposition as Algeria secured a dramatic extra-time victory.
The Granada goalkeeper has enjoyed strong family support throughout the tournament, with his father, mother and brother attending each of Algeria’s matches he has featured in.
“It is special when your family comes to watch,” Zidane said. “I try to be myself and build my career step by step without being weighed down by my name.”
Born in France, Zidane represented the country at youth level but opted to play for Algeria, where his grandparents hail from. He made his senior debut in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Uganda last November and was promoted to first-choice goalkeeper at AFCON following an injury to Alexis Guendouz.
Nigeria, however, remain wary of Algeria’s history at the tournament. The Desert Foxes have been something of a bogey side for the Super Eagles, winning four and drawing two of their nine AFCON meetings, including a famous 5-1 victory on their way to the 1990 title.
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, hosts Morocco face Cameroon in a clash loaded with history, Senegal welcome back key defender Kalidou Koulibaly, while Ivory Coast seek to overcome a poor AFCON record against Egypt as Mohamed Salah continues his quest for a first continental crown.
All eight quarter-finalists rank among Africa’s top 10 teams, with seven former champions still in contention as the tournament reaches its decisive stage.
