Mansion Sports – The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations resumes, with Group C winners Nigeria continuing their quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title as they face Mozambique.

This match is scheduled to take place at Fez Stadium on Monday, 05 January 2026 at 20.00 local time.

The Nigeria national team successfully passed the first round, winning all three matches, while The Mambas secured a place in the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams after the group stage concluded.

Before this match begins, here is Mansion Sports’ prediction for the Nigeria vs Mozambique lineups January 2026 below.

Condition of Both Teams Ahead of the Match

Nigeria

After failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the Super Eagles have the opportunity to redeem that disappointment through the ongoing AFCON tournament in Morocco.

Eric Chelle’s squad has already shown its intent to challenge for the title with three wins from the same number of group matches, scoring eight goals and conceding four during that period.

Nigeria’s greatest strength lies in the depth of their squad, which was clearly evident from the numerous lineup changes during the 3-1 victory over Uganda in the final match.

The runners-up of the 2023 edition have quickly established themselves as the most potent attacking team in the tournament, and with key players likely to return to the starting XI, Monday’s opponents will face relentless Nigerian attacking pressure.

The head-to-head record between these two teams strongly favors the former champions, who have won four of the last five meetings, with the remaining match ending in a 0-0 draw in March 2009.

After narrowly losing by three goals to host Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 edition, the West African side can use that defeat as motivation to go even further once again.

Nevertheless, Nigeria have shown weaknesses in defense, reflected in their inability to keep a clean sheet in their last three matches.

Mozambique

Meanwhile, Mozambique will be making their first appearance in the knockout stage of Africa’s premier competition.

Although they did not enjoy the best group-stage campaign, winning only one match against Gabon, that result was sufficient to secure qualification.

After claiming their first-ever AFCON victory, Chiquinho Conde’s side will be targeting a major upset in pursuit of a second win in the history of the competition and a place in the quarter-finals.

However, a record of four draws and 13 defeats in the tournament’s history cannot be ignored, and with a meeting against Nigeria’s in-form frontline, Conde’s players are set for a demanding day on Monday.

Nigeria vs Mozambique Predicted Lineups – January 2026

Nigeria (4-3-2-1)

Eric Chelle recently spoke about the difficulty he faces in selecting a starting XI, given the quality available within his squad.

Although Victor Osimhen scored on matchday two against Tunisia, the Galatasaray striker underperformed in the final third; however, he is expected to start.

Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams are expected to return to the attacking trio after missing the match against Uganda.

The familiar back four of Bruno Onyemaechi, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, and Bright Osayi-Samuel are likely to be reinstated for Monday’s match.

In terms of injuries, Cyriel Dessers, who has yet to feature, as well as Ryan Alebiosu, who made his debut against the Cranes, will not be involved due to injury.

Mozambique (4-2-3-1)

For Mozambique, Diogo Calila and Nene are confirmed to be absent through injury and will watch the match from the sidelines.

This match not only serves as a proving ground for Nigeria in their pursuit of a fourth title, but also represents a historic moment for Mozambique as they aim to surpass their best-ever achievement.

With the current squad compositions and team conditions, this fixture promises an engaging contest worthy of attention until the final whistle.