Nigeria’s senior men’s national team kicked off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign on a winning note, edging Tanzania 2–1 in their Group C opener at the Complexe Sportif de Fès on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles began the encounter brightly and nearly took an early lead when Akor Adams saw his effort crash against the crossbar.
Nigeria’s pressure eventually paid off in the 37th minute as Semi Ajayi rose highest to power home a header from Alex Iwobi’s delivery, giving Eric Chelle’s side a deserved lead at the break.
Nigeria thought they had doubled their advantage just two minutes into the second half when Victor Osimhen found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Tanzania responded positively and were rewarded in the 50th minute when Charles M’Mombwa restored parity, finishing from Novatus Miroshi’s assist.
The Super Eagles, however, wasted no time in reclaiming the lead. Just two minutes later, Ademola Lookman fired Nigeria back in front with a fine strike, restoring the three-time African champions’ advantage.
The Taifa Stars pushed for another equaliser, but Nigeria held firm defensively to see out the contest and secure all three points.
The victory places Nigeria top of Group C with three points, ahead of Tunisia’s encounter with Uganda.
The Super Eagles will return to action on December 27, 2025, when they face Tunisia in their second group match.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
