Nigeria Secure Africa Cup of Nations Last 16 Place In Spite of Late Tunisia Fightback
Former Continent's Best Player of the Year the Napoli star helped Nigeria establish a 3-0 lead, but the Super Eagles were compelled to hold on for a narrow win.
Nigeria weathered a stunning late rally from their opponents to advance to the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco.
The Super Eagles seemed to be cruising in their Group C encounter in the Moroccan city, holding a three-goal lead with only 17 minutes left courtesy of strikes from their attacking trio.
However, Montassar Talbi pulled one back with a powerful header from a Manchester United midfielder free-kick, igniting hopes of a recovery.
The tension intensified when the North Africans were awarded a spot-kick after a VAR check identified a handball by Bright Osayi-Samuel. The left-back calmly slotted home in the dying stages to set up a nail-biting finale.
Tunisia were inches away from a stunning leveler in added time, with captain Ferjani Sassi directing a chance narrowly wide before Ismael Gharbi sent a half-volley wide of the upright.
Clinching First Place
The victory means that the Super Eagles, winners of the tournament on 3 previous occasions, move to 6 group points and are guaranteed first place in their pool with a match left to be contested.
In the next round, they will meet a best third-place side from either Group A, B or F.
In the other match, the 2004 champions stay on 3 points, with the East African teams tied on a single point after registering a 1-1 stalemate in the day's other fixture.
The concluding pool fixtures will see the group leaders stay in the city to take on the Cranes on the next matchday, while the Eagles of Carthage travel back to the capital to face Tanzania.
An Anxious Conclusion
The Tunisian defender drilled home from 12 yards to give his team a glimmer of hope of earning a point.
The Super Eagles, finalists in the previous tournament, become the second nation after Egypt to qualify for the knockout stage, but their manager and supporters will certainly be feeling relieved.
What looked like set to be a comfortable final quarter morphed into a tense affair.
The prolific striker had a goal ruled out for offside before opening the scoring on the stroke of the interval, expertly guiding a header into the far post from an Atalanta winger cross.
The lead was doubled early in the second period when Wilfred Ndidi rose highest to thump in a powerful nod from a Lookman kick.
Osimhen then turned provider Lookman for the third goal, only for the defender to steer a powerful header past the Nigerian shot-stopper to initiate the fightback.
The pivotal moment arrived when a looping cross struck the forearm of the full-back, with referee Boubou Traore awarding a penalty after consulting the pitchside screen.
Although the defender's confident conversion, Tunisia ultimately fell short of pulling off a remarkable comeback.
Tunisia's destiny remains in their control; a draw against Tanzania will be enough to secure progression, and their coach will be keen to prevent a recurrence of the past early elimination that led to his previous resignation.
