The Super Eagles have booked their place in the round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a thrilling 3–2 victory over Tunisia in their second Group C match at the Stade de Fès on Saturday night, Bold Sports reports.
What looked set to be a comfortable evening for Nigeria turned tense in the closing stages, as Tunisia mounted a late comeback that fell just short. Goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman had put the Super Eagles firmly in control before two quick Tunisian strikes set up a nervy finish.
Nigeria began the contest on the front foot, dominating possession and tempo in the opening exchanges. Osimhen and Akor Adams consistently unsettled the Tunisian backline, with the Galatasaray striker going close on two occasions with headers that narrowly missed the target. Osimhen also had the ball in the net midway through the first half, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Tunisia gradually found their footing after the half-hour mark, pushing forward with more urgency. However, Nigeria’s central defensive pairing of Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi stood firm, limiting the Carthage Eagles to half-chances and keeping goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali largely untroubled.
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The Super Eagles’ pressure finally told just before the break. In the 44th minute, Ademola Lookman delivered a teasing cross from the left, which Osimhen met with a well-placed header to give Nigeria a deserved 1–0 lead at half-time.
Nigeria picked up where they left off after the interval and doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half. Another delivery from Lookman, this time from a corner, found Wilfred Ndidi unmarked, and the midfielder made no mistake with his header to make it 2–0.
Lookman capped a standout performance in the 67th minute when he added a third goal. After receiving a pass from Osimhen, the winger showed composure inside the box, taking his time before firing a low shot into the bottom corner to seemingly put the game beyond Tunisia’s reach.
However, the match took a dramatic turn as Tunisia pulled one back in the 75th minute when Hannibal Mejbri’s free-kick was headed home by Montassar Talbi. The Carthage Eagles’ belief grew further in the 86th minute after a VAR review confirmed a handball by Bright Osayi-Samuel inside the area. Ali Abdi calmly converted the resulting penalty to reduce the deficit to 3–2.
Despite late pressure and anxious moments in stoppage time, Nigeria held their nerve to see out the win and secure all three points.
The result lifts the Super Eagles to the top of Group C with six points from two matches, guaranteeing their progression to the knockout stages. Tunisia remain on three points and will look to also seal their place in the next round when they face Tanzania, while Nigeria face Uganda in their last group game.
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