Victor Osimhen was the hero for Eric Chelle's Super Eagles as Nigeria secured all three points against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, Soccernet.ng reports.
The three-time AFCON Champions came into the game high on the back of a win against Tanzania, while Tunisia put in the work against Uganda in their opening game, sealing a convincing 3-1 win.
However, it was the Super Eagles that broke the deadlock just before half-time. Ademola Lookman, scorer of Nigeria's second goal against Tanzania, sent a cross deep into Tunisia's box, headed home by Victor Osimhen.
Ademola Lookman Victor Osimhen
Nigeria's key men combine for a beauty
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Lookman turned provider again five minutes after the restart. His corner kick was headed home by Wilfred Ndidi, who emulated Nwankwo Kanu's famous celebration after scoring his first-ever goal for the Super Eagles.
Osimhen turned provider in the 74th minute, sending a cut-back into Lookman's path. The Atalanta forward startled the oncoming Tunisian defender before blasting home for his second goal of the tournament.
However, a spirited Tunisia didn't give up. Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi found the back of the net late in the game, but Nigeria held on for all three points.
Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the Nigerian players as they secured a 3-2 win over Tunisia in their second AFCON 2025 group game.
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How the Super Eagles fared against Tunisia
1. Stanley Nwabali 5.8/10
The Chippa United goalkeeper is increasingly becoming an object of worry for the Nigerian football populace. His indecisiveness, inability to command the area to claim crosses, was evident today, and the Tunisians capitalised on his lapses.
He'll need to improve in the coming games, or he could cost the Super Eagles in the long run.
2. Bright Osayi-Samuel 6.3/10
The Birmingham City right-back started the game very well, thwarting Morocco's threats down the right side, but his loss of focus led to Tunisia's penalty, and in turn, their second goal.
3. Calvin Bassey 6.9/10
The Fulham defender commanded the backline in Ekong's absence, in speech and in act.
His physicality came in handy as he continually put his body on the line to deal with the duels from the Tunisian attackers. He also helped the midfielders as he progressed the ball from the back several times.
4. Semi Ajayi 6.6/10
The Hull City defender was calm in possession, dealt with the aerial threats and helped in the build-up play.
He got a yellow card after a reckless challenge on the opponent. Other than that, he barely put a foot wrong.
5. Bruno Onyemaechi 6.8/10
The Olympiacos defender was superb in defence. He played like he had a point to prove, kept Achiouri quiet, and allowed Lookman and Iwobi to thrive in pocket spaces on the left while keeping the position free from potential threats.
6. Wilfred Ndidi 7.7/10
The Besiktas midfielder started the game with a few heavy touches, but settled in as time went on, and had one heck of a game against the Tunisians.
Bossed in duels as he won the most on the pitch while making crucial recoveries before capping off his performance with a brilliant header after the restart. Ndidi showed a true captain's performance in Fes.
7. Alex Iwobi 7/10
The Fulham midfielder probed the Tunisian defence with key passes all through the game. He had a few chances to find the back of the net, but his attempts were blocked.
His through ball in the 73rd minute found Victor Osimhen on the edge of Tunisia's box, and the resulting cut-back led to Ademola Lookman's goal.
8. Frank Onyeka 6.8/10
The Brentford midfielder brought in the much-needed energy to complement Ndidi's lack of legs in the Nigerian midfield.
His constant running in the middle of the park made it incredibly hard for the Tunisians to get going as they did against Uganda.
9. Ademola Lookman 9/10
Without a doubt, Lookman has risen and is in good form again in yet another AFCON tournament. After creating the opening two goals from well-taken dead balls, he maintained composure to find the back of the net himself.
The Atalanta forward now has the most goal contributions in Morocco since the start of AFCON 2025.
10. Akor Adams 6.6/10
The Sevilla forward put in the dirty work in attack, filling up the spaces in the centre of the park to give Osimhen the freedom needed to thrive and the decision paid off.
11. Victor Osimhen 8.5/10:
The Galatasaray man played with intent and definitely more composure than he did in Nigeria's clash against Tanzania.
Although he started the game on a rocky foot, his well-timed header made him level-headed, and every decision from there on in was spot on.
His cut-back led to Lookman's goal as well, and he'll be looking to add more goals to his catalogue against Uganda next week.
Away from the goals, he led with his performance and scored a hat-trick, making it clear he wants to make a debut entry into the FIFA World Cup stage.
Substitutes
Chidera Ejuke 6/10: The Sevilla winger replaced Frank Onyeka in the 79th minute before Tunisia piled on the pressure. He had a chance to score Nigeria's fourth goal on the night, but his attempt was denied by Aymen Dahmen.
Moses Simon 6/10: The FC Paris winger replaced Akor Adams in the 79th minute and was tidy in possession, not giving the ball away once.
Chidozie Awaziem replaced Ademola Lookman in the 90th minute but wasn't involved in any eventful action.
