Nigeria’s push for a knockout place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco gathered pace as the Super Eagles claimed a hard-fought victory to remain firmly in the qualification hunt in a fiercely contested Group C.
At the heart of Nigeria’s win was Semi Ajayi, whose commanding performance at the back and crucial goal earned him Man of the Match honours. Ajayi opened the scoring and set the tone for a night that tested Nigeria’s resolve as much as its quality.
“It’s an amazing feeling to score for your country, and in such a game it gives us the possibility of getting a good start,” Ajayi said after the match. “We had an amazing tournament in Côte d’Ivoire and we are using that as a standard. We are a team — we don’t need to get goals only from the attackers — and it’s pleasing to contribute to the success of the team.”
Nigeria briefly wobbled after Tanzania found an equaliser, but the Super Eagles responded almost immediately, showing the maturity that took them deep into the last AFCON. Ajayi admitted there was still room for improvement but was encouraged by the overall display. “There are a lot of positives to take from the game and some things to fix, and we will work on that to kill games going forward,” he added.
Head coach Eric Chelle echoed that assessment, welcoming the three points while acknowledging that sharper game management will be crucial as the group tightens. “We are satisfied with the three points. That is the most important,” Chelle said. “For the moment, I want to focus on the positives. The second part of the game shows clearly that there is still some work to be done — especially when it comes to killing the game. We are aware of this, and we will work on it.”
Nigeria’s victory kept them firmly in the mix behind Tunisia, who moved top of Group C after a 3–1 win over Uganda. The North Africans struck early through Elyes Skhiri, with Elias Achouri adding goals before and after the break. Uganda, however, had the final say as Denis Omedi pulled one back deep into added time, a goal that could yet matter in a group where goal difference may prove decisive.
Despite defeat, Tanzania left the pitch with renewed belief after pushing Nigeria for long spells. Their coach, Miguel Ángel Gamondi, felt his side exceeded expectations against one of the tournament favourites. “I think Tanzania played better than many people expected,” Gamondi said. “Nigeria had a lot of possession, but we neutralised them well through our tactical system. They did create chances, but most of them came from individual quality — which is not surprising. Overall, I believe we surprised a lot of people with the quality of our performance against Nigeria today.”
As the group stands, Tunisia lead, Nigeria sit close behind, and both Uganda and Tanzania remain under pressure with little margin for error. With heavyweight clashes still to come, including Nigeria’s looming test against the group leaders, Group C is shaping into a tense battle where composure, efficiency and small moments — like Ajayi’s decisive contribution — could determine who advances and who falls short at AFCON 2025.
