The Super Eagles Secure Afcon Last 16 Spot In Spite of Fierce Carthage Eagles Fightback
Former African Footballer of the Year the Napoli star was instrumental in his team build a commanding lead, but they were forced to defend resolutely for a narrow victory.
Nigeria weathered a stunning comeback attempt from their opponents to advance to the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations being held in Morocco.
Jose Peseiro's side seemed to be cruising in their Group C clash in the Moroccan city, enjoying a three-goal lead with only a quarter of an hour left thanks to goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman.
However, a Tunisian defender reduced the deficit with a close-range finish from a Manchester United midfielder set-piece, sparking hopes of a recovery.
The drama escalated when the North Africans were given a late penalty after a video assistant referee review spotted a handball by Bright Osayi-Samuel. The left-back calmly slotted home in the 87th minute to create a nail-biting conclusion.
The Carthage Eagles were inches away from a last-gasp leveler in stoppage time, with captain Ferjani Sassi directing a chance just past the post before a substitute guided a bobbling volley past the goal frame.
Clinching First Place
The victory means that the Super Eagles, winners of the tournament on 3 previous occasions, advance to six group points and are guaranteed top spot in their pool with one game still to play.
In the next round, they will face a best third-place team from one of the other preliminary groups.
In the other match, Tunisia remain on 3 points, with the East African teams tied on one point each after registering a one-all draw earlier on Saturday.
The final pool matches will see the group leaders remain in Fes to take on the Cranes on the next matchday, while Tunisia return to the capital to confront the Taifa Stars.
An Anxious Finish
The Tunisian defender drilled the ball from the penalty spot to give his team a glimmer of hope of earning a draw.
The Super Eagles, finalists in the previous edition, are the next nation after Egypt to qualify for the knockout stage, but coach Eric Chelle and fans will certainly be breathing a sigh of relief.
What looked like set to be a straightforward final quarter transformed into a nerve-wracking affair.
Victor Osimhen had a effort ruled out for offside before opening the scoring right before the interval, precisely placing a glancing effort into the bottom corner from an Ademola Lookman cross.
The lead was extended early in the second period when the Leicester City midfielder climbed above everyone to thump in a header from a Lookman kick.
Osimhen then turned provider Lookman for the third goal, before the defender to steer a header past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to initiate the fightback.
The pivotal incident came when a looping cross struck the forearm of Bright Osayi-Samuel, with referee Boubou Traore pointing to the spot after consulting the VAR monitor.
Despite Ali Abdi's successful penalty, the 2004 champions in the end came up just short of completing a remarkable recovery.
Their fate is still in their own hands; a draw against Tunisia will be enough to see them through, and manager Sami Trabelsi will be keen to avoid a recurrence of the past early elimination that led to his departure.
