Nigeria held off a late fightback from Tunisia to secure qualification for the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a hard-fought Group C victory in Fès, Morocco. The Super Eagles looked firmly in control after taking a commanding 3–0 lead with 17 minutes remaining. Victor Osimhen opened the scoring before Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman added further goals to put Nigeria on course for a comfortable win. However, Tunisia mounted a late resurgence to set up a tense finish. Montassar Talbi headed home from a Hannibal Mejbri free-kick to reduce the deficit, giving the Carthage Eagles renewed hope. READ ALSO: Odegaard nets first league goal as Arsenal edge Brighton to reclaim top spot The North Africans were handed a further lifeline in the 87th minute when a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review penalised Bright Osayi-Samuel for handball inside the box. Ali Abdi calmly converted the resulting penalty to make it 3–2. Tunisia pushed hard for an equaliser in stoppage time, with captain Ferjani Sassi heading narrowly wide, while Ismael Gharbi also came close with a volley that drifted past the post. Despite the late pressure, Nigeria held on to claim all three points, moving to six points and guaranteeing top spot in Group C with a game to spare. The Super Eagles will now face a third-placed team from Group A, B or F in the knockout stage. Tunisia remain on three points, while Uganda and Tanzania have one point each following their 1–1 draw earlier on Saturday. Nigeria will remain in Fès to face Uganda in their final group match on Tuesday at 16:00 GMT, while Tunisia return to Rabat to take on Tanzania at the same time.
Nigeria defeats Tunisia to reach AFCON last 16 despite late scare
