Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked an early place in the Round of 16 at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 after edging Tunisia 3–2 in a dramatic Group C clash in Fès on Saturday night.
A dominant display for much of the contest saw the Super Eagles race into a 3–0 lead, only for a late Tunisian surge to set up a nervy finale.
In the end, Nigeria’s composure and resilience proved decisive as they claimed a second successive victory and moved to six points at the top of Group C.
Lookman, Osimhen and Ndidi Strike as Super Eagles Hold Firm in Fès
From the opening whistle blown by Malian referee, Boubou Traoré, Nigeria made their intentions unmistakable.
The Eagles pressed aggressively, moved the ball with purpose and immediately tested Tunisia’s defensive structure.
Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams were relentless in the opening exchanges, probing the Carthage Eagles’ back line with pace and movement.
Nigeria thought they had taken the lead in the 17th minute when Osimhen stabbed home after the Tunisian goalkeeper parried Adams’ effort, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Osimhen Breaks the Deadlock
The breakthrough finally arrived just before the interval. In the 44th minute, Lookman delivered a deep, precise cross, and Osimhen rose above the defense to power a header into the net, scoring his first goal of the tournament and sending Nigeria into halftime deservedly ahead.
Ndidi’s Goal Doubles the Advantage
Nigeria picked up exactly where they left off after the restart. Just five minutes into the second half, Lookman’s teasing corner found captain Wilfred Ndidi, who towered above his marker to head home.
It was a historic moment for Ndidi, who scored his first senior international goal on his 73rd cap, underlining Nigeria’s dominance in midfield and set-piece efficiency.
Ademola Lookman Caps a Brilliant Display
The Super Eagles’ relentless pressure paid off again in the 66th minute.
A sweeping team move involving Alex Iwobi and Osimhen carved open the Tunisian defence, allowing Lookman to dart into space and fire a precise left-footed effort inside the post.
The goal was Lookman’s second of the tournament, adding to his two assists on the night, and appeared to have put the contest beyond doubt at 3–0.
Tunisia Fight Back, Tension Rises
Tunisia, however, refused to surrender. In the 75th minute, Montassar Talbi headed home from Hannibal Mejbri’s well-delivered free-kick to pull one back and ignite belief.
The pressure intensified when VAR intervened in the 87th minute, ruling that Bright Osayi-Samuel had committed a foul inside the box.
Ali Abdi stepped up and smashed the penalty into the roof of the net, cutting Nigeria’s lead to 3–2 and setting up a frantic finish.
The Carthage Eagles nearly completed the comeback in stoppage time, but Ferjani Sassi’s header drifted inches wide, allowing Nigeria to finally breathe.
Super Eagles Hold Firm to Seal Qualification
Despite the late scare, Nigeria showed maturity and defensive resolve to see out the game, registering their second consecutive win and becoming one of the first teams to qualify for the knockout stage.
The victory leaves the Super Eagles top of Group C with six points, ahead of their final group match against Uganda in Fès next Tuesday.
Tunisia, on three points, will face Tanzania in Rabat.
Nigeria vs Tunisia Post Reaction-Match
Sami Trabelsi – Tunisia Coach
“Of course, there is a sense of bitterness after the match and this defeat. We felt we could have come back, especially during the final 30 minutes.”
“The players performed at a very high level in that period; we created many chances, scored two goals and could have scored more.”
“The defeat hurts, but there is also a positive aspect: it shows that we can compete with any opponent when we impose our style of play and our ball possession.”
“We respected them, yes, while trying to remain balanced. We know that Nigeria have very fast and powerful players, so we tried to reduce the spaces.”
“In the first half, we had a few chances that we should have taken. The goals we conceded came from crosses; it was not a matter of too much respect, but rather that we lost too many defensive and attacking duels.”
“Once we started winning our attacking duels, we were much better and put the opponent under pressure.”
“I repeat, we did not start the match well because we lost too many duels. However, over the final 35 minutes, we were dominant and the final result could have been very different.”
“It is a matter of judgement. When we needed even more attacking penetration, we introduced Ismail Gharbi, but the performance of those already on the pitch was not poor.”
“The next match will be decisive.”
