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Nigeria are closing in on victory over Tanzania in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group C opener in Fes, Morocco.
Semi Ajayi headed home Alex Iwobi’s cross on 36 minutes to open the scoring and looked like they had a second, seconds after half-time — only for Victor Osimhen’s effort to be rightly ruled out for offside.
Charles M’Mombwa’s first-time finish (52) then brought Tanzania level, only for Ademola Lookman to restore Nigeria’s lead seconds later with a sharp shot from outside the box.
Despite their failure to qualify for next summer’s World Cup, Nigeria are one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
You can follow second-half updates below.
82' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Zaidu Sanusi with a silly foul, giving Tanzania a set-piece opportunity.
Miroshi bends it in, nodded away, Nigeria break and Bright Osayi-Samuel sprints down the right after a robust slide tackle.
Crossed in, Osimhen brings it down, huge foot in from sub Dickson Job, it breaks for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, who touches it around Zuberi Foba but the goalkeeper slides back to block his powerful shot!
79' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Defender Dickson Job is on for veteran Shomari Kapombe, 33, the versatile Haji Mnoga of Salford City on for Tarryn Allarakhia.
75' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Around 15 minutes left and Victor Osimhen is cutting a frustrated figure out there.
He nudges centre-half Ibrahim Hamad over from behind as he tries to latch onto Alex Iwobi’s pass.
It is soft and he cannot believe the foul goes against him.
Surprised he hasn’t talked himself into a yellow card there.
Very enthusiastic arguing with the ref, plenty of gesticulations.
This has been a much more even second half so far, although it still feels like Nigeria could pull away if they need to. Or at least, that they have more gears to find.
The fact the Super Eagles were able to restore their lead almost immediately following Charles M’Mombwa’s equaliser said a lot.
But Tanzania haven’t given up on this at all, and they are being given the encouragement to think there is a second goal out there for them — if they can find the quality to work it.
68' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Iwobi, so creative, sends a nice through ball into the inside-left channel for Osimhen to chase.
This time he’s onside, in behind the defence, racing forward from a tight angle but he tries to run around it and shoot with his right foot rather than an effort on his left, which looks the more natural decision.
Easy for Zuberi Foba, who has been impressive on his first international start.
67' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Fulham’s Alex Iwobi, one of the standout players on the pitch and boasting two assists so far, is found by Moses Simon after he floats left and right past Shomari Kapombe.
Fake shot, cuts onto his left, shoots on the angle for the top-right corner, narrowly over. Close.
63' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Off comes Simon Msuva and on comes Kelvin John of Aalborg.
Can the exciting 22-year-old attacker have an impact?
61' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Moses Simon nearly makes an instant impact, jinking down the left and crossing to the back post.
Victor Osimhen nods it upwards, then back across for Ademola Lookman, who volleys it …
Deflected but tipped over from Zuberi Foba. Good stop, corner, but the set piece comes to nothing.
59' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Nearly an hour gone and Eric Chelle, the Nigeria manager, makes the universal symbol for a sub, rolling his finger over his other finger in a circular motion.
Midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru of Lazio is on, striker Akor Adams off, and winger Moses Simon (whose middle name is ‘Daddy’) replaces Samuel Chukwueze.
58' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Goalscorer Lookman is yellow-carded there as he is late to a tackle in midfield and accidentally steps on a Tanzanian foot.
54' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Two goals in three minutes, and those came after Nigeria nearly scored in the 46th minute if not for a marginal offside against Victor Osimhen.
Tanzania switched off just after they had scored, always a dangerous time for a team to try to survive, and it was Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman who wrote his name onto the scoresheet.
He picked the ball up outside the penalty area from Alex Iwobi’s pass and lashed it powerfully past a helpless Zuberi Foba.
Such an explosive strike into the side of the net. No chance for Foba.
52' Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
It’s raining goals in Fes!
Ademola Lookman with a brilliant, brilliant finish and Nigeria take the lead.
51' Nigeria 1-1 Tanzania
Smart play from Tanzania, pushing Nigeria left and right, a nice chipped ball from the left side of the box to the onrushing Charles M’Mombwa, who crashed the box and volleyed home low on the volley.
A really neat finish, clean strike and a fine angled shot into the bottom-left corner.
He knee-slides into the corner in delight.
But …
50' Nigeria 1-1 Tanzania
This one will count!
Charles M’Mombwa with a fine neat finish and out of nothing Nigeria are punished.
Tanzania are delighted and mob M’Mombwa!
48' Nigeria 1-0 Tanzania
Yep, VAR confirms the offside from Osimhen.
Only seconds into the second half, Nigeria burst down the right via Akor Adams, who swung a nice low cross into the penalty area for his strike partner Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen nipped in ahead of the defender, jumped in the air and nudged it brilliantly into the net with his trailing leg.
A lovely, inventive flick but he was narrowly offside from the cross. Just overshot his run a little.
46' Nigeria 1-0 Tanzania
The ball is in the back of the net and it’s a brilliant flick from Victor Osimhen!
The offside flag is quickly up, though.
It looks close. VAR is checking this …
Back into the action we go in Fes.
And the restart of play is imminent.
Nigeria have won their opening fixture at AFCON 14 times out of 20 tournaments.
So the numbers are against Tanzania shocking the favourites, especially as they’re a goal down at the break.
