AFCON 2025: Wilfred Ndidi Admits Super Eagles Must Improve Despite Tanzania Win

Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi has admitted that Nigeria still have room for improvement despite opening their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania.

Nigeria began their quest for a fourth continental title with a hard-fought win against the Taifa Stars in a Group C encounter played in Fes on Tuesday.

After a bright start, the Super Eagles broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Semi Ajayi powered home a brilliant header. The defender was later named Player of the Match for his commanding display.

Tanzania responded strongly in the second half and were rewarded in the 50th minute when Kokola M’mombwa fired home a fine finish to draw his side level.

However, Nigeria wasted little time in restoring their advantage as Ademola Lookman struck a superb left-footed volley, which ultimately proved to be the match-winning goal.

Speaking after the game, Ndidi stressed that while the result was important, the team can still perform better.

“There’s still room for improvement, but the three points are the most important,” Ndidi told journalists. “The first game is always like this — trying to get momentum. Going forward, I know the team is capable of doing well.”

Addressing the pressure of captaining Nigeria at a major tournament, the former Leicester City midfielder insisted he feels fully supported within the squad.

“There’s no pressure at all because I’ve got so many leaders behind me,” he said. “There are senior players in the team who are solidly behind me, so it makes things easy.”

Nigeria will next face a stern test against AFCON 2004 champions Tunisia on Saturday. The Carthage Eagles famously knocked the Super Eagles out of the 2021 tournament in Cameroon with a 1-0 victory in the round of 16.

Looking ahead to the clash, Ndidi emphasized the need for self-assessment.

“For now, we have to go back and see what we did wrong and what we should have done better,” he added.

The Super Eagles currently sit second in Group C as they look to build momentum in their bid for continental glory.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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