Nigeria’s Super Eagles have booked their place in the
Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic 3-2 victory over
Tunisia in a pulsating Group C encounter at the Fez Stadium on Saturday night.
The three-time African champions looked firmly in
control after racing into a 3-0 lead, thanks to goals from Victor Osimhen,
captain Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman. However, a spirited late comeback
from Tunisia turned the contest into a tense five-goal thriller.
Osimhen opened the scoring shortly before half-time,
rising highest to power home a header from Lookman’s cross. Nigeria doubled
their advantage early in the second half when Ndidi headed in from a corner,
marking his first international goal. Lookman then capped a fine individual
performance by firing in Nigeria’s third on 67 minutes after being set up by
Osimhen.
Tunisia refused to go down quietly. Montassar Talbi
reduced the deficit with a header from a Hannibal Mejbri free-kick, before Ali
Abdi converted a late penalty following a VAR review that ruled Bright Samuel
had handled the ball inside the box.
The Carthage Eagles pushed hard for an equaliser in
seven minutes of added time, but efforts from captain Ferjani Sassi and
substitute Ismael Gharbi narrowly missed the target.
The win takes Nigeria to six points from two matches,
guaranteeing qualification for the knockout stage. Tunisia remain on three
points, while Tanzania and Uganda trail with one point each ahead of the final
round of Group C matches on Tuesday.
It was the seventh AFCON meeting between both sides,
with Nigeria extending their dominance in the rivalry and delivering a
statement performance after a narrow opening win over Tanzania.
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