Victor Osimhen finally broke his Africa Cup of Nations goal drought as Nigeria booked their place in the knockout stages with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Tunisia, surviving a dramatic late fightback at the Complexe Sportif de Fès.
The Galatasaray striker ended his barren run with a crucial first-half header, before captain Wilfred Ndidi and the outstanding Ademola Lookman extended Nigeria’s advantage to 3-0. However, goals from Montassar Talbi and a late Ali Abdi penalty set up a grandstand finish that left the Super Eagles clinging on nervously in stoppage time.
It was a captivating battle of the Eagles, and the Super ones soared highest when it mattered most, though the Carthage Eagles’ spirited fightback ensured the contest remained on a knife-edge until the final whistle.
Nigeria dominated the opening period, enjoying the greater share of possession and creating numerous opportunities, though Osimhen’s profligacy threatened to become a familiar frustration. The striker headed narrowly over from an Akor Adams cross before spurning another difficult chance with an off-target header. He put the ball in the net in the 18th minute, only to be correctly flagged for offside.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 44th minute when Lookman, who would go on to orchestrate Nigeria’s attacking display, delivered a pinpoint cross from the left. Osimhen timed his run perfectly, soaring backwards to meet the ball and sending a powerful header beyond Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen into the bottom right corner. The relief was palpable as the striker celebrated emphatically, having been substituted in Nigeria’s opening match against Tanzania after failing to find the target.
Nigeria emerged from the interval with renewed purpose and doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half. Lookman’s exceptional delivery from a corner was met by the towering Ndidi, who rose above his markers to head powerfully past Dahmen. The goal marked the Leicester City midfielder’s first international strike, a milestone made all the sweeter by its importance in such a crucial fixture.
The contest appeared to be beyond doubt in the 67th minute when Nigeria produced a flowing move that culminated in their third goal. Osimhen surged down the right flank before pulling the ball back for Lookman, who displayed remarkable composure and patience. The Atalanta forward jinked past a defender before unleashing a close-range shot that Dahmen could only palm against the post and into the net, making it 3-0.
Lookman’s performance was exceptional throughout, becoming only the third Nigerian player on record since 2010 to provide two assists in a single AFCON match, following John Obi Mikel against Mali in 2013 and Alex Iwobi in Nigeria’s opening game against Tanzania.
Tunisia, however, refused to surrender quietly. The Carthage Eagles found life after going three goals behind when Talbi gave them hope of a remarkable comeback in the 74th minute. The Lorient defender met Hannibal Mejbri’s perfectly delivered free-kick with a powerful header into the bottom right corner, reducing the deficit and injecting fresh belief into the Tunisian camp.
Nigeria’s nerves were frayed further three minutes from the end of normal time when VAR intervention dramatically altered the complexion of the match. Bright Osayi-Samuel was penalised for handball after the ball struck his arm as he grappled with an attacker inside the box. Following a pitchside monitor review, Mali referee Boubou Traore pointed to the spot.
Abdi stepped up and made no mistake with an emphatic penalty, dispatching his effort with confidence to make it 3-2 and set up a tense finale. Tunisia pinned Nigeria within their own half for the majority of seven additional minutes, with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali spilling a cross before Ferjani Sassi headed wide from a promising position.
Despite the late pressure, Nigeria held firm to secure all three points and guarantee their progression to the last 16 with six points from two matches. The Super Eagles produced 2.1 expected goals from 15 shots compared to Tunisia’s 1.04 from eight attempts, statistics that reflected their overall superiority despite the nervy conclusion.
For Tunisia, who had surpassed their previous AFCON record by defeating Uganda 3-1 in their opening fixture—their first opening-match victory since 2013—the defeat leaves them needing to regroup quickly. The Carthage Eagles demonstrated admirable fighting spirit and remain in contention for qualification, though they will rue their inability to build on their bright start to the tournament.
