The Super Eagles of Nigeria have officially landed in the Round of 16. On Saturday, December 27, 2025, Nigeria survived a late onslaught from Tunisia to secure a 3–2 victory at the Fez Stadium in Morocco.
The win ensures Nigeria tops Group C with a game to spare, joining Egypt as the first two teams to qualify for the knockout stages of AFCON 2025.
The Match Breakdown: A Game of Two Halves
Nigeria appeared to be cruising toward a comfortable victory before a dramatic Tunisian fightback turned the final ten minutes into a "nail-biter."
44’ | OSIMHEN BREAKS THE DEADLOCK: After a dominant first half that saw him have a goal ruled out for offside, Victor Osimhen finally ended his mini-drought.
The Galatasaray talisman rose highest to meet a pinpoint cross from Ademola Lookman, powering a header past Aymen Dahmen. ⚽️🦅
50’ | CAPTAIN NDIDI STRIKES: Just after the break, Wilfred Ndidi doubled the lead. The captain rose imperiously from a Lookman corner to head home his first-ever international goal for Nigeria. 🎯🇳🇬
67’ | LOOKMAN’S TURN: Ademola Lookman, the architect of the first two goals, turned scorer for the third. After a neat exchange with Osimhen, Lookman showed incredible composure to beat three defenders before firing in off the post. 🪄✨
The Tunisian Fightback
With a 3–0 lead, Nigeria looked settled, but the "Carthage Eagles" refused to go quietly.
74’ | Talbi Lifeline: Tunisia pulled one back when Montassar Talbi headed home a free-kick from Hannibal Mejbri.
87’ | Penalty Drama: A VAR review judged Bright Osayi-Samuel to have handled the ball in the box. Ali Abdi stepped up and smashed the penalty into the top corner, setting up a frantic seven minutes of stoppage time. 🟥🧤
The Great Escape: Nigeria were pinned in their own half for the final moments, with Tunisian captain Ferjani Sassi heading inches wide in the 95th minute. Ultimately, the Super Eagles held on to claim all three points.
Man of the Match: Ademola Lookman
The Atalanta forward was the undisputed star in Fez, involved in all three Nigerian goals (1 goal, 2 assists). His partnership with Osimhen is quickly becoming the most feared duo of the tournament. 🌟🇳🇬
The Verdict: Nigeria showed two sides of their character today—the attacking brilliance of the first hour and the defensive grit required to survive a tournament "scare." They face Uganda on Tuesday in a dead-rubber match where Eric Chelle is expected to rotate his squad.