Wasteful Nigeria edge past Tanzania to make winning start to AFCON 2025

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Nigeria seal a 2-1 triumph against a plucky Tanzania to unfastened their Africa Cup of Nations 2025 relationship with a triumph successful Fez.

Published On 23 Dec 2025

Ademola Lookman has secured a 2-1 win for a wasteful Nigeria against Tanzania successful Fez, Morocco, successful their opening Africa Cup of Nations match.

After the disappointment of failing to suffice for the 2026 World Cup, Nigeria manager Eric Chelle would person hoped for much goals fixed the opportunities his broadside created connected Tuesday.

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Star striker Victor Osimhen was among the culprits. He failed to people but could person claimed a hat-trick with amended finishing.

Nigerian centre fractional Semi Ajayi opened the scoring successful the archetypal fractional earlier Charles M’Mombwa levelled soon aft half-time.

However, Atalanta attacker Lookman struck the winning extremity soon aft the equaliser to spare Nigeria’s blushes.

The archetypal fractional followed a predictable signifier with three-time champions Nigeria pressing and Tanzania soaking up the unit arsenic they sought a archetypal triumph aft 3 draws and six losses successful 3 erstwhile AFCON appearances.

Tanzania goalkeeper Zuberi Masudi suffered a facial wounded aft advancing disconnected his enactment to artifact a changeable by Akor Adams.

From the resultant corner, Sevilla striker Adams came adjacent arsenic his near-post header deed the apical of the crossbar.

The East Africans threatened for the archetypal clip connected 14 minutes with an acrobatic changeable from Saimon Msuva comfortably saved by Stanley Nwabali.

As rainfall began to autumn successful Fez, Nigerian frustrations surfaced with 2023 African subordinate of the twelvemonth Osimhen upset aft being fouled by Ibrahim Hamad.

Osimhen past became the focal constituent of the Nigerian attacks, threatening to people doubly earlier different effort was cleared disconnected the enactment by Bakari Nondo.

That acceptable portion led to the Super Eagles taking the pb arsenic the shot was played backmost to Alex Iwobi, whose transverse was nodded into the country of the nett by Ajayi for his 2nd planetary goal.

Samuel Chukwueze had a accidental to summation the pb conscionable earlier half-time, but his close-range changeable was tipped implicit by Masudi.

The opening 7 minutes of the 2nd play were melodramatic arsenic an Osimhen extremity was ruled offside earlier M’Mombwa equalised connected 50 minutes and past 2024 African subordinate of the twelvemonth Lookman restored Nigeria’s pb 2 minutes aboriginal with a rising changeable from conscionable extracurricular the box.

Chelle introduced seasoned Moses Simon for Adams successful the vain anticipation of gathering a wider pb earlier what is apt to beryllium their toughest Group C lucifer – against Tunisia successful Fez connected Saturday.

Tanzania squandered a accidental to equalise with 3 minutes of regular clip remaining arsenic a Mohamed Hussein transverse evaded Nwabali, but substitute Kelvin John failed to link with the ball.

After facing Tunisia, Nigeria volition play Uganda successful their last radical fixture connected December 30.

Tanzania look Uganda connected Saturday portion they extremity their radical signifier with a gathering with Tunisia connected December 30.

Group C enactment continues connected Tuesday with Tunisia taking connected Uganda successful Rabat.

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