African Cup of Nations
Nigeria 3 – 2 Tunisia FT
Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen (right) gave Nigeria a 3-0 lead but the Super Eagles were forced to hold on for victory in the final seconds [Getty Images]
Nigeria withstood a counterattack by Tunisia to reach the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman gave the Super Eagles a 3-0 lead with 17 minutes left in their Group C match in Fes before Montasar Talbi pulled one back for the North African side when he headed home Hannibal Mejebri’s free kick.
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Tunisia were then awarded a penalty for handballs by Bret Osayi-Samuel and Ali Abdi in the 87th minute following a video assistant referee review, setting up a frantic ending to the game.
The Carthage Eagles came close to a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time when captain Fejani Sassi headed just wide, leaving Ismael Gharbi with time to volley over the post.
The victory means Nigeria advance with six points, ensuring top spot in Group C with one game remaining and facing the third-placed team in Group A, B or F in the next round.
Tunisia still have three points after a 1-1 draw with their East African rivals earlier on Saturday, while Uganda and Tanzania have one point each.
The Super Eagles will stay in Fes to face Uganda on Tuesday (16:00 GMT), while Tunisia will return to Rabat to face Tanzania at the same time.
