Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Farès Chaïbi has opened up on Algeria’s quarterfinal exit to Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, admitting that the Desert Foxes faced challenges in their preparations ahead of the encounter.
The Super Eagles produced a commanding display to defeat Algeria 2-0 in Morocco, securing a place in the semifinals and ending the North Africans' campaign in the competition.
Speaking in an interview with El Heddaf TV, as reported by La Gazette du Fennec, Chaïbi praised Nigeria’s performance and conceded that Algeria struggled to cope with the quality displayed by the three-time African champions on the day.
"We came up against their best. They played their best match of the competition,” Chaïbi said.
“You can't take anything away from them. They played a top-notch match. That day, they were at their peak. And we were at our lowest.”
The midfielder noted that the circumstances surrounding Algeria's preparations also played a role in the outcome, stressing that his team entered the game under difficult conditions
“So, we came up against the worst day for us and the best day for them. We had a complicated match preparation.”
Despite their impressive display against Algeria, the Super Eagles fell short in the semi-finals, losing to Morocco in a penalty shootout.
However, Nigeria bounced back to finish the tournament on a high note, defeating Egypt 4-2 in the third-place match to claim the bronze medal.
Adeyemi Adewale
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