In an exciting group stage match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria secured a valuable 2–1 victory over Tanzania at the Fez Stadium, kicking off their tournament run with a convincing performance, despite a few scares.

From the start, the match was characterized by high intensity from both sides. Tanzania came out with a bold approach that paid off early in the second half, when Charles M’Mombwa surprised everyone by opening the scoring in the 50th minute, putting the Super Eagles on high alert. However, Nigeria reacted swiftly, relying on the quality of their forwards and the depth of their squad.

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The Nigerian comeback began thanks to a header from Semi Ajayi in the 36th minute of the first half, which leveled the score and restored the momentum to the side led by Éric Chelle. Later, in the second half, Ademola Lookman scored the decisive goal, confirming the victory and securing the three points for Nigeria in a group that also includes Tunisia and Uganda.

Despite the positive result, the Nigerian coach will have issues to address: the team showed some defensive frailties and had to recover after conceding the opening goal. Tanzania, for their part, left a good impression despite the defeat; the team known as the Taifa Stars continues their search for a historic first-ever AFCON win, a milestone they have yet to achieve in their previous appearances in the tournament.

With this result, Nigeria gains momentum in Group C, while Tanzania will need to recover quickly if they want to stay alive in the fight to advance to the next stage. The competition continues, and the aspirations of both teams remain at stake under the intense and competitive atmosphere of African football.

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