Nigeria reach knock-out stage, Roche hands Benin first ever AFCON win, Senegal and DR Congo draw, stalemate in East African derby
• Nigeria beat Tunisia to qualify for round of 16
• Benin secured a vital 1–0 victory over Botswana
• Senegal play out to a thrilling draw with DR Congo
• Uganda, Tanzania in East Africa derby stalemate
Nigeria survived a dramatic late surge from Tunisia to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory in Fez on Saturday night, becoming the second team to book their place in the Round of 16 at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025.
In the last game of four thrilling duels in Morocco, the Super Eagles appeared to be cruising after racing into a commanding 3-0 lead. But, a spirited Tunisian comeback in the final quarter turned the contest into a tense affair under the lights.
Goals from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi gave the Carthage Eagles renewed hope, but Nigeria showed composure to hold on and claim a vital win.
Ademola Lookman had delivered a standout performance with two assists and a goal, as Eric Chelle’s side cruised to a commanding lead. A pinpoint delivery from the left by Lookman picked out Victor Osimhen, who rose powerfully to head home the opener a minute to halftime.
The striker’s threat from aerial balls had earlier posed a threat to Tunisia, seeing two of his headers fly inches over.
Carrying their momentum into the second half, Nigeria needed only four minutes after the restart to double their advantage. Captain Wilfred Ndidi towered above the defense to nod in a Lookman corner.
The 2024 CAF African Player of the Year then capped a superb individual display in the 66th minute, rifling a left-footed strike into the net from inside the box after a clever cut-back by Osimhen.
Tunisia however refused to fold. In the 75th minute, Talbi reduced the deficit with a precise header from Hannibal Mejbri’s well-delivered free-kick. The goal sparked belief, and 10 minutes later the North Africans were handed a lifeline when VAR ruled that Bright Osayi-Samuel had handled the ball inside the area.
Ali Abdi stepped up confidently, smashing the penalty into the roof of the net to set up a nervy finish. Tunisia came agonizingly close to completing the comeback in stoppage time, but captain Ferjani Sassi’s header drifted inches wide.
Nigeria ultimately held firm to register a second successive win, moving to six points and top of Group C. They face Uganda in the final match in Fez next Tuesday while Tunisia, who are on three points, travel to Rabat to face Tanzania.
REACTIONS
Ademola Lookman - TotalEnergies Man of the Match: “We are pleased with the performance today - three points on board, that is most important. We take the positives and carry on. Victor is a good striker and we have a good relationship and make the most of that. Anywhere l can help the team l do. I now play closer to goal, which gives me more chance to hurt the opponent and l am happy with that.”
Eric Chelle - Nigeria coach: “I’m happy, once again, with the intensity we showed for 75 minutes. I’m pleased with how we recovered the ball both very high up the pitch and very deep. We were able to move forward quickly, but also to keep possession for long periods of the game. We created a lot of chances and opportunities to score. In the second half, up until the 75th minute, we deserved this victory. We deserved it because we were the better team. After that, Tunisia played with the energy that characterises them. Their first goal came from a set piece, and the second from a moment of play. But once again, we deserved this win, and I think we were the better team in every area of the game. Of course, it would be nice to finish a match without having to suffer so much.”
Sami Trabelsi -Tunisia coach: “Of course, there is a sense of bitterness after the match and this defeat. We felt we could have come back, especially during the final 30 minutes. The players performed at a very high level in that period; we created many chances, scored two goals and could have scored more.
“The defeat hurts, but there is also a positive aspect: it shows that we can compete with any opponent when we impose our style of play and our ball possession.
“We respected them, yes, while trying to remain balanced. We know that Nigeria have very fast and powerful players, so we tried to reduce the spaces. In the first half, we had a few chances that we should have taken. The goals we conceded came from crosses; it was not a matter of too much respect, but rather that we lost too many defensive and attacking duels. Once we started winning our attacking duels, we were much better and put the opponent under pressure.
“I repeat, we did not start the match well because we lost too many duels. However, over the final 35 minutes, we were dominant and the final result could have been very different.
“It is a matter of judgement. When we needed even more attacking penetration, we introduced Ismail Gharbi, but the performance of those already on the pitch was not poor. The next match will be decisive.”
Uganda 1-1 Tanzania
Allan Okello’s stoppage-time penalty miss proved costly as an intense East African derby between Uganda and Tanzania ended in a 1–1 draw at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025, at Stade El Barid in Rabat on Saturday night.
Uganda were handed a golden opportunity to claim all three points after substitute Karl Ikpeazu had drawn them level to cancel out Simon Msuva’s opener, but Okello blazed his spot-kick over the crossbar at the stroke of full time, denying the Cranes a dramatic victory.
Victory would have significantly boosted Uganda’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stages. Instead, the draw leaves both sides facing must-win scenarios on the final day of Group C action.
The contest lived up to its billing as a fiercely contested regional derby. Rodgers Mato went closest in the first half, his powerful header from an Azizi Kayondo cross crashing against the crossbar, while Okello tested Tanzanian goalkeeper Foba Zuberi twice from close range.
At the other end, veteran goalkeeper Dennis Onyango, called in to the starting line-up after sitting out the opening match, produced a composed display to limit Tanzania’s threat, particularly from aerial deliveries.
The tempo remained high after the break, and it was Tanzania who struck first. In the 58th minute, Alhassan Baba was penalized for handling the ball inside the area while attempting to block Alphonce Msanga’s effort.
Msuva stepped up and confidently converted the resulting penalty.
Uganda pressed for a response and were rewarded 10 minutes later when Ikpeazu dived in to meet a Dennis Omedi cross, heading home to restore parity. The Cranes then thought they had snatched victory deep into stoppage time, but Okello’s penalty sailed over the bar.
There was still late drama at the other end, as Onyango spilled a cross into a dangerous area, only for substitute Charles M’Mbowa to volley wide and spare Uganda further punishment.
Tanzania will next face Tunisia at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, while Uganda travel to Fez for a decisive encounter against Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
REACTIONS:
MOM: Simon Msuva - Tanzania
“Thank you so much. I am really happy with the trophy, but I cannot take all the credit. It is for my teammates and the supporters who have rallied us. We know Uganda are our neighbours so we knew it would be difficult but thank God we managed to work together and get a result”
Miguel Gamondi – Tanzania
“First, we are a little disappointed that we did not win but I do believe we had a very good game with high intensity. In attacking we lost some balls. Uganda created some good chances, and I think we changed well in the second half. We created chances, dominated and were dangerous but we made a mistake to allow for a cross which resulted in a goal. We feel sorry for all the Tanzanian people that we did not win but we continue working hard in this tough competition”
Paul Put – Uganda
“I think we didn’t deserve a draw. I think we had more opportunities. If you look at the ball possession, we had more of it. We also missed a penalty which is very painful but that is a part of football. We have a very young team so my responsibility is also to build a team for 2027 because we are the host country. I spoke to the players and informed that they we need to keep the belief. You have to play until the last game. Yes we are disappointed, but we need to reset the mindset and prepare for the match against Nigeria which we know will not be easy.
Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
In Tangier, Sadio Mane struck the equaliser as former champions Senegal came from behind to hold DR Congo to a 1–1 draw in an absorbing encounter.
Cedric Bakambu had handed Les Leopards the lead on the hour mark, capitalizing on sustained second-half pressure, but Senegal responded just eight minutes later through Mane to ensure the points were shared after a lively contest.
The Lions of Teranga dominated much of the first half and left the pitch with a sense of regret, having created several clear opportunities without finding the breakthrough.
Nicolas Jackson went closest early on, his close-range effort from a Mane cut-back drifting inches wide, while Mane himself saw a free-kick from the edge of the area narrowly miss the target.
Ismaila Sarr squandered perhaps the best chance of the half when he volleyed over from close range after a poorly defended set piece, before Pape Gueye forced a smart low save from the Congolese goalkeeper just before the interval.
DR Congo emerged with renewed intent after the restart and were quicker out of the blocks. Noah Sadiki tested Edouard Mendy with a firm drive before the breakthrough arrived in the 60th minute. Bakambu reacted quickest to tap home after Mendy had initially saved Theo Bongonda’s shot.
Senegal, however, showed character in their response. Substitute Ibrahim Mbaye sparked the move that led to the equalizer with a determined run down the right, his effort parried by the goalkeeper, allowing Mane to arrive at the right moment to calmly slot home the rebound.
Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing stages of a high-tempo encounter, but neither could find a decisive second goal.
The draw keeps Senegal top of the group on four points, level with DR Congo but ahead on goal difference. The final group fixtures on Tuesday, Senegal against Benin and DR Congo facing Botswana, will determine the final standings and qualification positions.
REACTIONS:
Sadio Mane MOM TotalEnergies
"One point is not too bad as our opponents DR Congo were determined and played very well. They were good and compact in defence, they did not take any unnecessary risks, so they also deserve the one point. We are not completely unhappy as the Afcon us always tough. It was a tough match and in this competition you cannot underrate any team."
DR Coach Sebastian Desabre:
"It was a hotly contested game. We needed to step up to the plate which we did. We started slowly and as time went on we improved. The second half was excellent and this fell in line with our plans. We wanted to have four points by the end of our second match so we have met our targets.
It was a good game. It was a different game from what happened when the two sides played in Kinshasa. These two teams know themselves very well so playing against each other will always be tough as the games are very tight like it happened today. On the flanks Senegal were very swift with players like Jackson but we managed to contain them and that led to this result. Overall the guys put up a good show. We can congratulate the boys for a good job done."
Benin 1-0 Botswana
Goalscorer: Yohan Roche (28’)
Yohan Roche’s first-half strike proved decisive as Benin reignited their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 Round of 16 qualification hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Botswana in Rabat.
This was Benin’s first ever victory at the AFCON. The result not only penned a brilliant chapter in their history, but also saw Gernot Rohr’s men respond positively after their opening-day defeat to DR Congo.
Meanwhile, Botswana’s ambitions of a first-ever progression to the knockout stage suffered a major setback following a second consecutive loss.
Benin made a purposeful start and were briefly celebrating inside the opening quarter of an hour before Aiyegun Tosin’s effort was ruled out for offside. Their persistence was eventually rewarded in the 28th minute when Roche found the breakthrough.
The left-back finished off a pass from captain Steve Mounié, his effort taking a decisive deflection off a defender before beating goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko.
Botswana came close to restoring parity seven minutes before the interval, but Mothusi Johnson’s superb free-kick crashed against the crossbar.
After the restart, Benin looked to put the contest beyond doubt. Tamimou Ouorou went close on two occasions, first forcing Phoko into a full-stretch save from distance before seeing another deflected effort well gathered by the Botswana goalkeeper.
Botswana pushed forward in the closing stages in search of a lifeline, but lacked the cutting edge required to trouble the Beninese defence.
The Zebras will conclude their Group D campaign against DR Congo in Rabat on Tuesday, while Benin face former champions Senegal in Tangier on the same day, knowing that a positive result could secure their place in the knockout phase.
REACTIONS:
Gernot Rohr, Benin coach:
“This victory is important to us because it gives us a chance to qualify for the next round. We proved today that we have progressed defensively. We didn't concede many opportunities and we recovered well, especially on the offense.
I am happy for Yohan Roche who laughed at his mistake in the first match and who has just been elected Man of the match.
Morena Ramoreboli - Botswana Coach
“In the first 45 minutes, we got one opportunity which I think we should have buried and unfortunately from very same opportunity, we conceded the other side. The sad part about this game is that we were creating in the first half but in the second half after we tried to get more possession, we were doing that but we did not really get that penetration or create more opportunities.
It is unfortunate that this is a game of football that works on who scored more goals and who made more mistakes and in this situation we made one mistake which resulted in us conceding a goal.
When you look at them, they played all match with just one corner kick and that simply means they were not really giving us problems in terms of how they wanted to attack us. The worst part is that their defender is man of the match and that simply says, as much as he is the one who scored a goal, they were defending and defending well and unfortunately we are on the losing end today”
Yohan Roche MOTM
"It is a source of immense pride. We were aware of the people's expectations, and we managed to stay focused to secure the win. This goal is particularly touching for me, especially after the difficulties of the first match. It was an immense joy to score the winning goal for Benin in front of my family, who are here in Morocco.
So proud to have scored this winning goal! 🇧🇯 It was a tough match against a solid Botswana team, but we did what was necessary. Happy to have contributed to this historic first victory in the Africa Cup. We keep going together! "