Nigeria began their quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Tanzania’s Taifa Stars on Tuesday evening in Fes, shaking off recent disappointments to claim a crucial opening Group C win.
The Super Eagles, chasing their first AFCON crown since 2013, controlled much of the early exchanges and were rewarded in the 36th minute when man-of-the-match Semi Ajayi glanced home a precise header from Alex Iwobi’s inviting right-wing cross. Nigeria pressed for a second before the break, with Samuel Chukwueze seeing a deflected effort tipped over by Tanzania goalkeeper Zuberi Foba.
Nigeria’s dominance was briefly checked after the restart. Tanzania emerged with renewed belief and drew level in the 50th minute when Charles M’Mombwa side-footed home a lofted delivery from Novatus Miroshi, catching the Super Eagles cold.
The response was immediate and decisive. Just two minutes later, former African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman restored Nigeria’s lead with a moment of pure quality – shifting the ball onto his left foot before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top-right corner. It proved the match-winning moment.
Earlier, Nigeria had threatened to run away with the contest. Akor Adams was denied twice inside the opening 12 minutes by Foba, while Tanzania defender Bakari Mwamnyeto cleared a Victor Osimhen effort off the line. Osimhen later thought he had scored shortly after the interval, only for the flag to rule it out for offside.
The victory comes against a backdrop of mixed emotions for Nigerian football. After finishing runners-up at the last AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, the Nigeria Football Federation launched the “Naija 4 the Win” campaign. Yet the optimism has been tempered by the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Under head coach Eric Chelle, Nigeria showed resilience and composure, sealing the points in front of over 11,000 fans. They will now look to secure early qualification for the round of 16 when they face Tunisia in Fes on Saturday, while Tanzania travel to Rabat to meet Uganda in an all-East Africa clash.
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