Nigeria’s Super Eagles opened their CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Tanzania’s Taifa Stars on Tuesday evening in Fès, as goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman sealed a crucial opening-day win.
The Super Eagles, playing their 105th match in the history of Africa’s biggest football championship and beginning their 21st AFCON appearance, overcoming a spirited Tanzanian side in front of just over 11,000 spectators at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, under light drizzle in northern Morocco.
Semi Ajayi Breaks the Deadlock After Nigerian Pressure
Nigeria dominated much of the opening exchanges, stretching Tanzania with the pace and movement of Victor Osimhen, Lookman and Moses Simon.
The breakthrough nearly came in the 32nd minute, when Osimhen latched onto a pass from Alex Iwobi, touched the ball past the goalkeeper, but saw his effort cleared off the line by Bakari Mwamnyeto.
Moments later, the pressure told in the 36th minute, when Semi Ajayi rose highest inside the box to power home a header from an inch-perfect Iwobi delivery, giving Nigeria a deserved lead and underlining their growing control of the contest.
Iwobi, earning his 92nd international cap, was outstanding throughout the half, dictating play with his passing range and composure.
Missed Chances Keep Tanzania Alive
Nigeria dominated the game at early hours, however, they were unable to extend their advantage before the break.
Tanzania threatened briefly when Stanley Nwabali produced a fine save to deny Tarryn Allarakhia, while Samuel Chukwueze went close for Nigeria in stoppage time, only to see his effort tipped over the bar.
The Super Eagles went into half-time 1–0 ahead.
Second-Half Drama: Disallowed Goal, Equaliser, Instant Response
The second half exploded into life almost immediately.
Nigeria thought they had doubled their lead inside the opening minute when Victor Osimhen cleverly back-heeled the ball into the net. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside.
That decision gave Tanzania belief, and they capitalised moments later.
In the 50th minute, a perfectly weighted pass from Novatus Dismas split the Nigerian defence, allowing Charles M’Bombwa to race through and calmly slide his finish past Nwabali to make it 1–1.
However, Tanzania’s celebrations were short-lived, because, barely sixty seconds later, Ademola Lookman produced a moment of pure quality.
He curled an unstoppable strike from the edge of the area beyond the goalkeeper to restore Nigeria’s lead at 2–1 and silence the Taifa Stars.
FULLTIME: Game Management and Defensive Resolve
From that point, Nigeria managed the contest with maturity, keeping possession and limiting Tanzania’s opportunities.
The Taifa Stars pushed for a second equaliser and came closest late on when Ibrahim Hamad volleyed wide from a corner.
However, Nigeria’s back line, marshalled by Calvin Bassey, Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Zaidu Sanusi, and captain Wilfred Ndidi, held firm to secure all three points.
The two goals took Nigeria’s all-time AFCON goal tally to 148.
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Man of the Match: Semi Ajayi Reacts
Nigeria’s defender Semi Ajayi, named Man of the Match, reflected on the significance of his goal and the team’s performance.
“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.”
“We had an amazing tournament in Cote d’Ivoire and we are using that as a standard.”
Ajayi also highlighted the team’s collective contribution:
“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.”
“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.”
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Coaches’ Corner and Post-Game Reactions
Eric Chelle: ‘The Three Points Are What Matter’
Nigeria head coach Eric Sekou Chelle was pleased with the result but acknowledged areas that still need improvement.
“We are satisfied with the three points. That is the most important. For the moment, I want to focus on the positives.”
He added:
“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.”
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Coach Gamondi Praises Tanzania’s Performance
Tanzania head coach Miguel Ángel Gamondi felt his side exceeded expectations despite the defeat.
“I think Tanzania played better than many people expected. Nigeria had a lot of possession, but we neutralised them well through our tactical system.”
He continued:
“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.”
What’s Next for Nigeria
The victory gives Nigeria an early boost in Group C, with their next match coming against Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles on Saturday, once again in Fès at (@9pm, Nigerian Time).
The Super Eagles will look forward to building on this opening win towards their quest for a fourth AFCON title.
