AFCON 2025: The biggest and best moments from the Round of 16

It all started when Lookman dribbled on his own toward the Mozambique goal instead of crossing the ball to Osimhen in the center of the penalty box. It was a silly move, and Osimhen had a right to chastise Lookman for it: He was on a hat trick and Lookman's selfish run prevented him from completing it. But as the minutes ticked on, Osimhen stayed hot, and he eventually motioned for Nigeria coach Eric Chelle to substitute him out of the match. He left the field to a deserved chorus of boos.

Things didn't end there. Osimhen stormed down the tunnel at the final whistle without speaking to any of his teammates, and he didn't appear for media duties after the match.

That, unfortunately, is Nigeria in 2025 for you: sumptuous play undercut by silly interpersonal drama. It's a real shame. If Osimhen wants to win a major title with his national team, he needs to learn how to express his passion with a little less punch.

Mohamed Salah does it again

Another Egypt game, another late Salah goal. The Liverpool striker scored in the 124th minute off an inspired cross-field sprint to secure Egypt's advancement to the quarterfinals.

It was a beautiful, emotional and cathartic goal for Egypt, but it wound up masking many of the team's very real issues. The Pharaohs struggled mightly in this Round of 16 game against Benin and found themselves trapped in an extra-time slugfest. They won it, but only barely, and victory required moments of magic from their exhausted attackers.

Egypt is one of the top teams in Africa, but it hasn't looked brilliant in any of its AFCON appearances thus far. Yes, Salah found his moment in this match ... but there's going to come a time when he doesn't. Perhaps even in the quarterfinals, where Egypt will face a dangerously motivated Cote d'Ivoire team looking to win back-to-back AFCON championships.

Algeria finds an unlikely hero

It took 120 grueling minutes for Algeria to find a winner against a plucky Congo team, but what a winner it was. 22-year-old substitute Adil Boulbina sealed the quarterfinals for his country with a sumptuous curling shot into the top corner of the Congo net. If you didn't know it came seconds before the match was due to move to penalties, you'd never guess it: Boulbina's finish was composed, precise and utterly assured.

The Africa Cup of Nations will return with its quarterfinal round on Friday.