As good as the contests in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations are, with seven out of the eight quarterfinalists being former champions, there is little doubt that the pick of the bunch, for sheer history, drama and storytelling, has got to be Nigeria against Algeria.
Since their first meeting at the 2nd All-Africa Games in Lagos 55 years ago, these two sides have met a total of 22 times since, and this, their 23rd, comes loaded with the rich tapestry of their shared history on the field.
Saturday's duel will be their 10th at the Nations Cup, with the results fairly evenly distributed. Nigeria have three wins, Algeria have four, the other two ended in draws, and those contests did not lack in any way.
The games had everything from magical star players, one-sided smackdowns, stunning comebacks, and not a little skulduggery.
Incidentally, Morocco is the site of one of their famous jousts, the AFCON semifinal in 1988, which went into an epic penalty shootout, which Nigeria won after Peter Rufai's goalkeeping heroics.
Marrakech is set to be the scene of a brand new row in the tapestry of one of Africa's greatest rivalries.
AFCON battles past
22 March 1980
To be honest, Algeria did not stand a chance here as Nigeria's first proper Golden Generation claimed their first ever AFCON trophy on home soil. Spurred by the presence of President Shehu Shagari and much of his cabinet in the stands, the then-Green Eagles ran roughshod over the Fennecs.
In front of a packed crowd at the National Stadium in Lagos, Adokiye Amiesimaka was mesmerizing, Muda Lawal was irresistible, Christian Chukwu was imperious as the calculating Segun 'Mathematical' Odegbami helped himself to two goals to throw the entire country into ecstasy.
10 March 1982
Algeria did not have to wait too long for their revenge. At the very next AFCON, defending champions Nigeria, who had won their opening game against Ethiopia by a convincing 3-0, took the lead through Emmanuel Osigwe with five minutes till half time.
But any thoughts of a repeat were crushed almost instantly, as Okey Isima conceded an own goal under pressure just four minutes after Osigwe's goal. Salah Assad then scored midway through the second half as the Fennecs held on for victory.
Nigeria went on to lose their final group game against Zambia and were ignominiously eliminated from the tournament in the group stage, just two years after emerging champions.
11 March 1984
Two years later, and for the third tournament in a row, the pair were back at it again. For the second time on the spin, it was a group stage game.
This time, both teams appeared to contrive to come to a peaceful solution, in a game reminiscent of the "Disgrace of Gijon" between West Germany and Austria, both sides played out an infamous 0-0 draw.
The referee was compelled to give both teams a yellow card as they made no genuine attempt to score, with fans believing they had 'reached an accord' to settle for a scoreless draw and progress to the last 4 at the expense of Cup holders Ghana.
Both made it to the semifinals, where Nigeria edged out Egypt on penalty shootout and Algeria lost to eventual winners Cameroon.
23 March 1988
Not only was a place in the AFCON final at stake, Algeria's star midfielder Lakhdar Belloumi had stoked the embers of hostility three months earlier, after their Olympic qualifiers clash.
After the game, Algeria's star forward Lakhdar Belloumi claimed that if both sides were to meet at the Nations Cup in Morocco later that year, the contest would prove who was the better team.
Belloumi's words meant neither side were willing to give any quarter and this set up a game for the ages.
This game had absolutely everything! Drama, suspense, injuries, a red card, penalty shootout, great saves and not a little argy-bargy.
Nigeria took the lead just before half time when Sunday Eboigbe's cross was met by Rashidi Yekini, but his header came off the post. Samuel Okwaraji was quick to pounce and Abderrazak Belgherbi, in the first of his two unfortunate moments of the game, deflected the Nigeria midfielder's shot into his own net.
Nigeria held on to the lead and looked like running away with the victory, until Ademola Adeshina was sent off with six minutes of play left. Within two minutes of his departure, Rachid Maatar stunned the Green Eagles by pulling the Fennecs level.
The game went to penalties, and that was not just when the real drama started, but when the legend of Peter Rufai was born. Both sides missed two kicks in the opening five, and the shootout went into sudden death.
The next five kicks were converted. Both goalkeepers stepped up for their kicks in the 10th round and put it away. Current NFF technical Director, Austin Eguavoen, who had scored the opening kick and Belloumi, who had opened for Algeria, went again for the second go-around.
While Eguavoen scored, it is fittingly ironic that Belloumi, who had sparked all of the drama beforehand, was the one to see his kick spectacularly saved by Rufai to send Nigeria to the final.
It was, by far, the best and most epic match of the entire series between the two sides and one that will be hard to top.
2 March 1990
What goes around comes around. 10 years earlier, the Green Eagles demolished the Fennecs to win their first AFCON title at home. It was the turn of Algeria, hosts this year.
Freshly-minted Nigeria coach Clemens Westerhof had been forced to pick a rookie team after some disputes with his veteran players.
In this, their opening game, they were dismantled 5-1 by Algeria, who claimed their biggest-ever win over Nigeria. Two goals each from Rabah Madjer and Djamel Menad gave the hosts a 4-0 lead.
Austin Okocha's big brother Emma Okocha pulled one back for Nigeria, but Djamel Amani made sure that was scant consolation by adding another.
16 Mar 1990
Nigeria recovered from that opening day defeat to claim two wins over Egypt and Ivory Coast, then beat Zambia in the semifinals to set up a rematch just two weeks later.
Although there was to be no shellacking, there was to be no revenge either. Algeria lifted their first AFCON title following a 1-0 win, with Cherif Oudjani's long range pile driver beating Nigeria goalkeeper Alloy Agu for the win.
21 Jan 2002
Julius Aghahowa's goal in Bamako secured all three points for the Super Eagles in their opening game of the Nations Cup, a game that they completely dominated against a poor Algerian side.
The Fennecs finished bottom of the group, behind even Liberia and went home early.
30 Jan 2010
After the disappointment of losing to West African rivals Ghana in the semifinals, Nigeria picked themselves up for the third place playoff.
Skipper Nwankwo Kanu did some excellent work to set up forward Obinna Nsofor the lone goal of the game that claimed bronze for Nigeria.
14 Jul 2019
A tight game in Cairo could have gone either way, with the score almost echoing that famous game in 1988.
Just as Algeria went behind through an own goal back then, this time it was Nigeria who suffered own goal agony with William Troost-Ekong putting past his own goalkeeper.
And just like 31 years earlier, Algeria looked to be cruising when Odion Ighalo converted a penalty to tie the game up.
But as the things looked to be heading to extra time, the Algerians won a freekick, and despite setting up a wall, including having Henry Onyekuru lie down behind it, Riyad Mahrez curled in a magical freekick to win the game deep in injury time.