MATCH STATS: Nigeria vs Tanzania - TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 – Group C

Nigeria and Tanzania will meet at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the second time when they face off in Fes on Tuesday (kick-off 18h30 local time / 17h30 GMT), 45 years after their first encounter at the tournament.

Their only previous AFCON meeting came at the 1980 finals, when hosts Nigeria opened their campaign with a 3–1 victory over Tanzania in Lagos on 8 March 1980, going on to win their first continental title.

Overall, the teams have met seven times across all competitions, with Nigeria unbeaten, winning four matches and drawing three.

Their most recent encounters came in qualifying for the 2017 AFCON, drawing 0–0 in Dar es Salaam on 5 September 2015 before Nigeria won 1–0 in Uyo on 3 September 2016. Egypt would qualify ahead of both teams.

Nigeria goalkeeper Amas Obasogie currently plays his club football in Tanzania for Singida Black Stars, where he is a teammate of Hussein Masalinga and Khalid Iddi.

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD OVERALL

Nigeria: P7 W4 D3 L0 GF11 GA3 GD+8Tanzania: P7 W0 D3 L4 GF3 GA11 GD-8

HEAD-TO-HEAD AFCON

Nigeria: P1 W1 D0 L0 GF3 GA1 GD+2Tanzania: P1 W0 D0 L1 GF1 GA3 GD-2

PAST AFCON MEETINGS

1980 AFCON, Group A – 8 March 1980
Nigeria 3 (Lawal 11’, Onyedika 35’, Odegbami 85’) Tanzania 1 (Mkambi 54’)

Nigeria – Key Statistics

·       Appearing at their 21st AFCON finals.

·       Three-time champions (1980, 1994, 2013).

·       Runners-up in 1984, 1988, 1990, 2000 and 2023.

·       Finished in the top three in 13 of their last 15 AFCON appearances.

·       Eliminated at the group stage only twice (1963, 1982).

·       Have reached at least the semi-finals in 13 of their last 15 appearances since 1988.

·       In tournaments hosted in North Africa, finished inside the top three in five of six appearances.

·       Opening-game record at AFCON: P20 W13 D2 L5.

·       Unbeaten in their opening match at the last three tournaments.

·       Lost just one of their last 14 AFCON group games (W10 D3).

·       Have scored in their last six AFCON group matches.

·       Have lost just four of their last 25 AFCON matches overall.

·       Will play their 105th AFCON match, the third-most in tournament history.

·       Have scored 146 goals at AFCON, four short of 150.

·       Qualified undefeated, winning four matches and drawing two.

·       Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen were top scorers in qualifying with two goals each.

·       Coached by Eric Chelle, appointed in January, who led Mali to the quarter-finals at AFCON 2023.

 

Tanzania – Key Statistics

·       Making their fourth AFCON appearance.

·       First qualified in 1980; returned at Egypt 2019.

·       Have qualified for successive finals for the first time.

·       Played 10 AFCON matches without a win (D3 L7).

·       Lost all three previous opening games at the finals.

·       Avoided defeat in two successive AFCON matches for the first time in 2023.

·       Their 0–0 draw with DR Congo in 2023 was their only clean sheet at the finals.

·       Have scored just one goal in their last four AFCON matches.

·       Progressed from qualifying alongside DR Congo.

·       Simon Msuva and Feisal Salum were joint top scorers in qualifying with two goals each.