Nigeria breathed fresh life into their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign on Friday evening, claiming a vital 3-1 victory over Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Introduced at the start of the second half, striker Tolu Arokodare delivered an inspired four-minute brace to build on Alhassan Yusuf’s early opener and secure three indispensable points for Éric Chelle’s side.
Heading into the matchday, the pressure on the Super Eagles was immense. Following a 2-1 opening win against Madagascar and a chastening 3-0 defeat to group leaders Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria found themselves in a must-win scenario.
Because Tanzania automatically qualifies as tournament co-hosts, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Madagascar are locked in a three-way battle for the single remaining ticket out of Group L.
Nigeria received a timely boost prior to kick-off when Guinea-Bissau dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Madagascar—a lifeline the three-time African champions wasted no time seizing.
The hosts flew out of the blocks, breaking the deadlock inside two minutes. Akor Adams overpowered a Tanzanian defender near the edge of the penalty area to tee up Ademola Lookman, who spotted Alhassan Yusuf’s surging run into the box.
Lookman’s crisp, first-time pass found the MLS midfielder in stride, and Yusuf buried his finish to hand Nigeria an early lead.
Tanzania gradually settled into the contest and found a route back in the 32nd minute after a costly lapse from Wilfred Ndidi.
The Beşiktaş midfielder surrendered possession in a dangerous area, allowing the Taifa Stars to launch a swift counter-attack. Cutting through the Nigerian backline, Alphonce Msanga finished off the move to restore parity at 1-1.
Matters worsened for the hosts just before the interval when Ademola Lookman went down off the ball with an injury, forcing Éric Chelle to introduce Moses Simon ahead of the halftime whistle.
Determined to reclaim control, Chelle turned to his bench at the restart, bringing on AFC Ajax forward Tolu Arokodare for Tochukwu Nnadi. The tactical switch paid dividends almost immediately.
Just six minutes into the second half, Ndidi atoned for his earlier error by linking up neatly with Moses Usor to carve open the Tanzanian defense. The ball fell to Arokodare, who improvised brilliantly to flick a stylish back-heel past the goalkeeper and restore Nigeria’s advantage.
Barely four minutes later, the striker put the contest out of reach. Moses Usor whipped a dangerous delivery into the area from the left flank; Arokodare cushioned the cross with composure before rifling a clinical finish into the net to seal his brace and make it 3-1.
With the victory, Nigeria maintains its strong historical edge over Tanzania in AFCON competition. The Super Eagles remain undefeated in their last four meetings against the Taifa Stars (three wins, one draw), building on their 2-1 triumph when the two sides met at the 2025 tournament.
