Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has urged his players to raise their level despite Nigeria starting AFCON 2025 with a 2–1 win over Tanzania in Group C. The match at the Complexe Sportif de Fès saw Nigeria take the lead, surrender it early in the second half and then quickly restore their advantage.
Semi Ajayi opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 36th minute, heading home from an Alex Iwobi delivery after sustained pressure. Tanzania hit back shortly after the restart through Charles M’Mombwa, but Ademola Lookman responded almost immediately with a low strike from the edge of the box to seal the victory.
Speaking after the game, Chelle said the most important thing at AFCON is to improve with every match. He praised the team’s first half performance and chance creation but admitted they made avoidable errors that allowed Tanzania back into the contest after the break.
“We have to analyse this win because we did a lot of good things, especially in the first half,” he told reporters. “In the second half we gave Tanzania the chance to come back into the game. We made two mistakes, and at this level that is dangerous, even if we are happy with the three points.”
Chelle said there is “a lot of work to do” before Nigeria’s next game against Tunisia, which he described as a big test against a top side. He highlighted the need to improve defensively and to make more intelligent movements off the ball when Nigeria are not in possession.
Man of the match Semi Ajayi echoed his coach’s assessment, saying the team must manage games better after taking the lead. He noted there were many positives to build on but stressed that Nigeria cannot afford lapses in concentration deeper into the tournament.
Despite the uneven second half, analysts say the win gives the Super Eagles a solid platform in a tricky group featuring Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. A result against Tunisia in the next fixture would put Nigeria in a strong position to qualify early for the knockout stages.
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