The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed a comfortable 3-1 win over the Cranes of Uganda in their final group stage game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Raphael Onyedika hit a brace after Paul Onuachu opened the scoring. But a momentary defensive lapse gifted Uganda a chance, and Roger's Mato scored the Cranes' only goal of the game.
There were a few noticeable points from the game, and Soccernet.ng highlights some of the key takeaways in this article.
Perfect ending to the group stage!
UGA 1-3 NGA#UGANGA #Naija4TheWin #AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/hymCS0BHAi
— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) December 30, 2025
Victor Osimhen: Captain Fantastic
Victor Osimhen wore the captain’s armband for the Super Eagles on the night, and he carried the assignment with a great sense of responsibility. He was a constant presence, communicating effectively with both his teammates and the match officials throughout the game.
Beyond his leadership, Osimhen was selfless. He combined seamlessly with Paul Onuachu and consistently made the right decisions in the final third.
Although he did not get on the scoresheet himself, his overall contribution was vital. He showcased a mature side of his game — his leadership ability — which some fans may have questioned in the past.
This shows that even when Wilfred Ndidi is absent, there is someone who can carry the leadership burden.
A New Midfield Guard Steps Up
Entering the fixture, it was widely expected that coach Éric Chelle would rotate his starting eleven given that the match was a dead rubber. He did exactly that, introducing a refreshed midfield.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika partnered in a new-look pivot and performed quite well. While they struggled to gain a foothold in the match during the opening 15 minutes, they soon settled into a rhythm.
Onyedika, who has often played second-fiddle to Wilfred Ndidi, was particularly dominant. His ability to dictate the tempo was brilliant, and he capped off a stellar performance with two goals. With this display, Chelle definitely knows that he has a reliable alternative when Ndidi is unavailable.
On the other hand, Dele-Bashiru ghosted, especially when it came to transitions. Onyedika did most of the work today, thankfully it didn't backfire.
Paul Onuachu’s Impact
Handed his first start of the tournament, Paul Onuachu performed brilliantly. He served as an excellent foil for Victor Osimhen upfront and showed great composure whenever he was in possession.
Onuachu showed his tactical intelligence by dropping deep to link the play on several occasions. For Nigeria’s third goal, he was the architect, falling back to spread the ball wide to Samuel Chukwueze, who then provided the assist for Onyedika. It was a complete performance from the Trabzonspor star.
New Day, Familiar Defensive Concerns For Nigeria
Following the clash with Uganda, the Super Eagles have now conceded in six consecutive matches. Most of these goals have been caused by momentary lapses in concentration, a trend that unfortunately continued against the Cranes.
For a brief period, the defense seemed to switch off, giving Uganda the opening they needed to score.
Moving forward into the knockout stages, the team must address these defensive vulnerabilities if they are to be serious title contenders. As they say: a good attack wins you games, while a solid defence wins you championships.
Debut Boy: Ryan Alebiosu
Ryan Alebiosu had a decent debut performance for the Super Eagles. He replaced Bright Osayi-Samuel, and looked really sharp and bullish.
But if his performance today is anything to go by, then Chelle cannot depend on him in the big games. While he always looked positive going forward, he was perhaps, a bit too exuberant.
He was caught out of position a few times and struggled to keep the Ugandan wingers at bay when they ran at him. Alebiosu definitely still has a lot of work to do if he wants to pin down the starting shirt.
