Nigeria began their campaign at the 2025 African Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Tanzania at the Fez Stadium on Tuesday.
Ademola Lookman netted a second half winner after Tanzania had briefly canceled out Semi Ajayi’s first half opener.
The Super Eagles were finalists in the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast and had hoped for a winning start in the ongoing 2025 edition in Morocco.
They were off to a bright start as Akor Adams missed an early chance to score, before his header few moments later came back off the crossbar.
Victor Osimhen then missed an attempt to open the scoring after his effort was cleared off the line, before Nigeria took the lead to ease nerves.
Semi Ajayi powered a header into the top corner after he was found by a brilliant cross by Alex Iwobi following a short corner kick.
Samuel Chukwueze was then denied a second for the Super Eagles by the impressive Tanzania goalkeeper, before Osimhen’s rebound was also tipped over as Nigeria went into the break ahead.
The Galatasaray forward was at the heart of things two minutes into the second half after he found the back of the net, but the offside flag halted celebrations.
However, the Taifa Stars equalized five minutes after the interval as a long ball over the defence found M’Mombwa who slotted past Stanley Nwabali.
Nigeria hit back immediately as the impressive Iwobi found Lookman, who curled in a glorious effort from the edge of the box to make the scoreline 2-1.
There was no other goal in the encounter as the Super Eagles held on to make a winning start to their quest for a fourth African title.
The three-time champions face Tunisia in their next clash on the 27th, before playing their final group match against Uganda on the 30th.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
