Afcon 2025: Nigeria maintain off Tunisia fightback to safe last-16 place | Africa Cup of Nations 2025

Nigeria placed on a powerful show of attacking prowess however needed to cling on in the long run for a slender 3-2 win towards Tunisia, turning into the second workforce to verify of a spot within the final 16.

Victor Osimhen netted the opener a minute earlier than half-time, and Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman scored after the break. However Tunisia staged a late comeback with objectives from the defenders Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi that arrange a frenetic end.

It was Nigeria’s second win in Group C and ensures they are going to high the standings, even with one first-round fixture nonetheless to play. Their six-point haul is three greater than second-placed Tunisia, with Tanzania and Uganda on one level every.

Osimhen had a collection of slender misses from as early because the eighth minute as Nigeria got here out of the beginning blocks swarming throughout Tunisia. But it surely took till the forty fourth minute for the striker, sporting his customary masks to guard his cheekbone, to attain as he rose on the again put up to go dwelling Lookman’s cross.

Nigeria had been 2-0 up 5 minutes into the second half when Ndidi soared excessive above the Tunisian defence to attain from a nook. Osimhen turned supplier for Nigeria’s third within the 67th minute, dragging the ball into the trail of Lookman, who seemed initially to have spurned a superb alternative however after hesitating was nonetheless in a position to get a shot away and the ball went in off the put up.

Tunisia pulled their first objective again within the 74th minute when Hannibal Mejbri’s free-kick was met by Talbi and the error-prone Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali slipped in his efforts to cease it.

Tunisia received a lucky penalty with 5 minutes left because the ball hit Vivid Osayi-Samuel’s hand as he was making an attempt to go clear. The spot-kick was thrashed dwelling by Abdi, establishing a late surge from Tunisia with Ferjani Sassi’s header deep in stoppage time inches away from a dramatic equaliser.

Egypt turned the primary workforce into the final 16 on Friday once they beat South Africa 1-0 to verify of high place in Group B. Nigeria keep in Fes for the final group sport on Tuesday towards Uganda, whereas Tanzania and Tunisia conflict on the identical time in Rabat.

Uche Ikpeazu scored a late equaliser earlier than his teammate Allan Okello missed a penalty as Uganda needed to accept a 1-1 draw with their east African rivals Tanzania of their Group C sport in Rabat. It’s a first level for either side of their pool after they opened their 2025 marketing campaign with defeats by Tunisia and Nigeria respectively.

Tanzania took the lead within the 59th minute when Simon Msuva transformed a penalty after a handball within the field, however they had been to be denied a first-ever win on the continental finals on the eleventh try. Ikpeazu’s diving header drew Uganda degree, earlier than they had been awarded a penalty and the possibility to win it late on, just for the talisman Okello to place his spot kick over the crossbar.

There was a well-recognized really feel to the competition between two longstanding regional rivals, although this was their first assembly on the Cup of Nations. Uganda got here near the opener when Rogers Mato’s header got here again off the crossbar inside quarter-hour, however the sport actually got here to life within the second half.

Tanzania had been awarded a penalty when Alphonce Msanga’s shot from outdoors the field struck the arm of the Uganda midfielder Baba Alhassan, which was deemed to be in an unnatural place. Msuva stepped as much as take the spot-kick and fired it into the roof of the web.

However Tanzania couldn’t see the sport out and had been denied a maiden Cup of Nations finals win when Ikpeazu stooped to go in Denis Omedi’s cross from the correct. The Moroccan referee, Jalal Jayed, then awarded Uganda a penalty after a tug on the shirt of James Bogere by Haji Mnoga. Okello is named Star Boy in his homeland, such is his expertise, however fluffed his traces on this event as he despatched his spot-kick over the bar.

Sadio Mané scored for Senegal as they got here from behind to attract 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday and hold high place in Group D. Cédric Bakambu put DRC into the lead within the 61st minute, however Mané equalised eight minutes later along with his 51st objective for his nation, one of many favourites to win the event.

The match was cagey at instances with either side cautious of their strategy, though Nicolas Jackson had a few first-half probabilities for Senegal, coming shut with short-range efforts.

The DRC defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka had the ball within the web halfway by the primary half but it surely was offside. They took the lead, nonetheless, with a sweeping transfer ahead, with Théo Bongonda combining with Wan-Bissaka earlier than firing a shot that Édouard Mendy may solely parry into the trail of Bakambu, who completed from shut vary.

Senegal’s 17-year-old substitute Ibrahim Mbaye arrange the equaliser for Mane with a mazy run, though he profited from the DRC defender Arthur Masuaku immediately stopping with a suspected achilles tendon damage. Mbaye’s shot was stopped by the goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi however fell for Mané to brush dwelling.

The 2 sides have 4 factors from their opening two video games and look set to progress into the final 16 with their ultimate group video games on Tuesday. Senegal are forward of DRC on objective distinction after they beat Botswana 3-0 of their opening fixture whereas DRC edged previous Benin 1-0.

Yohan Roche scored a deflected winner as Benin claimed a first-ever victory on the Africa Cup of Nations finals with a 1-0 Group D success towards Botswana in Rabat. Benin took the lead within the twenty eighth minute when Roche performed a one-two within the field along with his captain, Steve Mounie, and his shot from 10 yards took a deflection off a defender and into the web.

The highest two groups in every pool, in addition to the 4 greatest third-placed sides from the six teams, qualify for the spherical of 16.