Nigeria reach AFCON knockouts despite late Tunisia scare

Victor Osimhen starred arsenic Nigeria became the 2nd qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout signifier aft Egypt by surviving a precocious Tunisia onslaught to win 3-2 successful Fes.

The Super Eagles were cruising to triumph connected Saturday, starring 3-0 done goals from Osimhen, skipper Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman.

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But Tunisia refused to surrender successful the top-of-the-table Group C clash, and Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi scored to acceptable up a tense finish.

Tunisia had 2 chances to level during 7 minutes of added time, but a header from skipper Ferjani Sassi and a changeable by substitute Ismael Gharbi were conscionable disconnected target.

Nigeria person six points, Tunisia three, and Tanzania and Uganda 1 each, with the last circular of radical matches acceptable for Tuesday.

The showdown was the seventh clip the Super Eagles and the Carthage Eagles had faced each different astatine an AFCON.

Nigeria won 3 times, and Tunisia once. Another 2 meetings went to punishment shootouts, with each federation winning one.

After performing good beneath par erstwhile edging Tanzania successful the opening round, Nigeria were a transformed squad against Tunisia, dominating the archetypal 30 minutes successful the bluish city.

Osimhen was outstanding, peculiarly successful aerial duels, portion Tunisia were forced to perpetually support against the three-time champions.

The Galatasaray striker, wearing his trademark mask, headed conscionable implicit aft 9 minutes, and came adjacent again soon aft arsenic helium roseate to conscionable a country kick.

Osimhen had the shot successful the nett aft 17 minutes, but was rightly ruled offside. Big-screen replays showed the 2023 African subordinate of the twelvemonth timing his tally excessively early.

Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was fortunate to flight a yellowish paper for dissent aft reacting angrily erstwhile a Nigerian took a foul throw, flinging the shot into the ground.

Osimhen was wide with different headed extremity attempt, past near the transportation temporarily truthful that the aesculapian unit could use a spray to his leg.

Tunisia yet broke retired of a antiaircraft ammunition connected 32 minutes and forced a corner. The set-piece ended with the shot coming backmost to Abdi, whose changeable flew good over.

Several Tunisian raids reaped nary reward, and connected 44 minutes, the goalless deadlock was broken, with Osimhen, predictably, the scorer.

The extremity progressive 2 erstwhile African players of the year, with 2024 victor Lookman crossing the shot and Osimhen rising betwixt Abdi and Talbi to caput powerfully into the net.

Just 5 minutes into the 2nd half, Nigeria stretched their pb to 2 goals, arsenic they erstwhile again exposed the aerial weaknesses of the Tunisian defence.

Atalanta striker Lookman was the designer again, floating a country into the bosom of the goalmouth, wherever Ndidi soared to bushed goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen and people his archetypal planetary goal.

After creating the archetypal 2 goals, Lookman scored the 3rd connected 67 minutes, aft being acceptable up by Osimhen. He had clip to power the shot successful the container earlier slamming it into the nett disconnected the post.

Tunisia pulled 1 extremity backmost with 16 minutes remaining. The North Africans yet got the amended of an aerial duel, and Talbi nodded a Mejbri free-kick into the net.

The extremity had a melodramatic effect arsenic Tunisia took power and scored again with 3 minutes left, erstwhile Abdi converted a punishment awarded aft a VAR reappraisal showed Bright Samuel handled.

Uganda spurn punishment accidental to bushed Tanzania

Uganda’s Allan Okello missed a precocious punishment arsenic his broadside had to settee for a 1-1 gully against East African neighbours Tanzania astatine the Africa Cup of Nations earlier connected Saturday.

Okello’s nonaccomplishment to person from the spot denied Uganda a precious triumph successful the Group C clash aft Uche Ikpeazu had scored a precocious equaliser for the Cranes successful beforehand of 10,540 fans astatine Al Medina Stadium successful Rabat.

Before that, it looked similar Tanzania, winless successful 10 erstwhile matches crossed 4 AFCON tournaments, mightiness yet interruption their duck erstwhile Simon Msuva enactment them successful beforehand from the punishment spot.

But Ikpeazu, who plays successful the Scottish 2nd tier for St Johnstone, headed successful a transverse by chap substitute Denis Omedi to level the scores with 10 minutes remaining.

“I person a precise atrocious feeling, due to the fact that I deliberation we didn’t merit this draw. I deliberation we had much opportunities,” said Uganda manager Paul Put.

Of the missed penalty, helium said, “That is very, precise painful, but that is besides football.”

The deadlock betwixt the determination rivals, who volition co-host the 2027 Cup of Nations with Kenya, does small to assistance their chances of progressing to the past 16 from Group C.

Both person 1 constituent from 2 matches and way Nigeria and Tunisia, with the 2 erstwhile champions facing disconnected aboriginal connected Saturday successful Fes.

“It is not successful our hands, but we person to believe,” said Put, whose squad play Nigeria next.

Uganda, who person conscionable 1 AFCON triumph of their ain crossed 3 tourney appearances since losing the 1978 final, came closest to scoring successful the archetypal half.

An Aziz Kayondo transverse from the near was met by the caput of Rogers Mato, whose effort came backmost disconnected the underside of the crossbar.

Tanzania were awarded a spot-kick conscionable earlier the hr mark, erstwhile a changeable by Alphonce Msanga struck the limb of Uganda’s Baba Alhassan.

The experienced Msuva, who plays nine shot successful Iraq, made nary mistake from the spot and has present scored goals astatine 3 antithetic AFCON tournaments.

However, a melodramatic decorativeness to the crippled amid a torrential downpour saw Tanzania squander the pb and past respire a large suspiration of alleviation arsenic Uganda missed the accidental to assertion victory.

Ikpeazu made it 1-1, and Uganda won a punishment erstwhile James Bogere went down arsenic his garment was pulled by Tanzania defender Haji Mnoga of Salford City.

With the crippled successful the 90th minute, Okello stepped up and was possibly enactment disconnected by a immense clap of thunder conscionable earlier helium took his kick, which went implicit the bar.

“I americium a small spot disappointed with the result, due to the fact that we tried to triumph the game, but we besides could person mislaid it successful the past 5 minutes,” said Tanzania manager Miguel Angel Gamondi.

“We wanted our archetypal triumph astatine the Africa Cup of Nations, and I americium precise atrocious for each the Tanzanian people.”