• Beats Tunisia 3-2
From our Sports desk, Benin
The Nigeria Super Eagles have qualified for the round of 16; knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, after beating Tunisia 3–2 on Saturday night.
The Nigeria team was purposeful from the blast of the whistle dominating play through sustained possession and quick ball circulation.
In their sustained push, several opportunities were created early in the game, repeatedly testing the Tunisian defence through crosses and set pieces.
But the opening goal did not come until the end of the hour in the first half when Victor Osimhen leaped above everyone to head into the opponent’s net, from close range, off Ademola Lookman’s cross.
On resumption of the second half, the Super Eagles continued to pile pressure on the Tunisia defence in search of another goal.
Their efforts paid off five minutes later with Wilfred Ndidi’s powerful header from a well-delivered corner kick, reinforcing Nigeria’s dominance in aerial situations.
Tunisia struggled to cope with the tempo as Nigeria continued to press with confidence and composure.
As play continued, Ademola Lookman scored the third goal in the 67th minute off a through pass to put the Super Eagles in a comfortable lead.
At that stage, Nigeria appeared firmly in control of the contest.
But at the 74th minute, Montassar Talbi pulled one back via a header off a free kick to reduce the deficit for
Tunisia, thus setting a fresh tone in the game.
In a sustained effort towards the closing stages of the game, Tunisia was awarded a penalty kick after a Visual Referee Review (VAR).
Ali Abdi converted confidently in the 87th minute for his side, bringing scores to 3–2 and reviving the hope to at least pull a draw in the encounter.
However, the Nigerian team effectively deployed experience to survive the closing minutes under pressure, to claim all three points.
With the victory gotten, the three-time African champions confidently matches into their final group phase fixture against Uganda, scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, hoping to finish unscathed.
Meanwhile, Ademola Lookman emerged the man of the match with his sterling performance registering one goal and two assists.
