Nigeria’s Super Eagles secured qualification for the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic 3–2 victory over Tunisia in a pulsating Group C encounter at the Fez Stadium on Saturday.
Nigeria appeared firmly in control after racing into a commanding 3–0 lead, with goals from Victor Osimhen, captain Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman putting the Super Eagles on course for a comfortable win.
Tunisia, however, refused to go down without a fight. Goals from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi reignited the contest and created a nervy finale, as the Carthage Eagles pressed relentlessly in search of an equaliser.
During seven minutes of added time, Tunisia came agonisingly close to levelling the score, but a header from captain Ferjani Sassi and a late effort by substitute Ismael Gharbi both narrowly missed the target.
With the win, Nigeria moved to six points at the top of Group C, while Tunisia remained on three points. Tanzania and Uganda sit on one point each ahead of the final round of group matches scheduled for Tuesday.
The encounter marked the seventh AFCON meeting between the Super Eagles and the Carthage Eagles. Nigeria have now won three of those clashes, Tunisia one, while two previous meetings were decided by penalty shootouts, with each side winning once.
After a subdued performance in their narrow opening win over Tanzania, Nigeria showed a marked improvement against Tunisia, dominating the opening half hour with confidence and intensity.
Osimhen was outstanding, particularly in the air, constantly troubling the Tunisian defence. The Galatasaray forward, wearing his trademark protective mask, headed just over in the ninth minute and threatened again shortly after from a corner.
He found the net after 17 minutes, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside, with replays showing the 2023 African Player of the Year had moved too early.
Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was fortunate to escape a booking after angrily reacting to a foul throw decision, while Osimhen continued to test the defence before briefly leaving the pitch for treatment.
Tunisia’s rare attacking moments yielded little reward until the closing stages of the first half, when the deadlock was finally broken in the 44th minute. Lookman delivered a precise cross and Osimhen rose between defenders to power a header into the net.
Nigeria doubled their advantage five minutes after the restart, once again exploiting Tunisia’s aerial frailties. Lookman floated in a corner and Ndidi rose highest to head past goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen for his first international goal.
After providing the assists for the first two goals, Lookman capped his performance by scoring the third in the 67th minute. Set up by Osimhen, he calmly controlled the ball in the box before firing it off the post and into the net.
Tunisia pulled one goal back with 16 minutes remaining when Talbi headed home a free-kick delivered by Mejbri. The goal shifted momentum, and Tunisia grew in confidence, eventually scoring again with three minutes left. Abdi converted from the penalty spot after a VAR review confirmed Bright Samuel had handled the ball.
Despite the late surge, Nigeria held on to seal a crucial victory and book their place in the knockout phase.
What you should know
Nigeria’s qualification underscores their status as one of Africa’s most successful football nations, with three AFCON titles to their name.
Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman remain central to the Super Eagles’ attacking threat, combining creativity and physical presence. While defensive lapses allowed Tunisia back into the game, Nigeria’s dominant first-hour performance highlighted their potential to go deep in the tournament.
The final group match will determine their exact position heading into the Round of 16.
