Egypt vs Nigeria prediction 17.01.2026 | Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt’s AFCON campaign has been defined by peaks and troughs. The Pharaohs advanced from the group stage with wins over South Africa and Angola and a 3-1 extra-time Round of 16 victory against Benin. They went unbeaten in five consecutive matches prior to their semi-final encounter with Senegal, scoring six goals in that span - three against Benin and three against Ivory Coast.

However, in their semifinal against Senegal, Egypt were unable to threaten consistently, failing to register a shot on target until after the only goal was scored, an indicator of creative issues in the final third execution.

Individually, Mohamed Salah remains Egypt’s most potent attacking threat and is among the tournament’s top scorers. According to recent data, Salah has scored 4 goals at AFCON 2025/26, making him one of the competition’s standout forwards.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have shown strong offensive efficiency throughout the tournament, featuring a 2.4 goals-per-game average across their last five matches before the semifinal, compared with Egypt’s 1.4 goals per match in a similar span. However, their impressive goalscoring rate was halted by Morocco’s resilient defensive block in a goalless semi-final, which they eventually lost on penalties (4-2).

Key to Nigeria’s attack has been Victor Osimhen, who has registered 4 goals in the tournament prior to the semifinal, generally leading the line with consistent threat. Other contributors like Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi have added variety to Nigeria’s offensive options.

Their semifinal against Morocco ended 0-0 after extra time, with both sides struggling to create clear chances; Nigeria’s penalty shootout defeat highlighted their inability to convert opportunities when defensive intensity was high.