Victor Osimhen was visibly upset at being substituted during Nigeria's nervy to 2-1 victory over Tanzania on Tuesday night in their Group C opener at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.
Despite being heavy favourites, Nigeria were made to work for the win. Semi Ajayi opened the scoring before Tanzania equalised through Charles M’Mombwa. Ademola Lookman quickly restored Nigeria’s lead, scoring the decisive goal just two minutes later.
However, Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s most valuable player and second all-time highest goalscorer, endured a night of near misses and raw emotion as his side laboured past a Tanzanian team ranked 74 places below them by FIFA.
The scoreline could have looked very different, largely but for Osimhen’s remarkably frustrating first half. The Galatasaray striker twice dribbled past the goalkeeper, only to see one chance run to an angle too tight to shoot and another effort cleared off the line. In the second half, he had a goal ruled out for offside by the narrowest of margins.
Osimhen was also involved in Nigeria’s best attacking combination play, offering a smartly chested assist to Lookman, whose powerful effort was tipped over the bar by the Tanzanian goalkeeper.
With Nigeria struggling to kill the game off, head coach Eric Chelle made a late change. Five minutes from time, Osimhen was withdrawn for Paul Onuachu, a decision that did not sit well with the striker.
Osimhen showed clear signs of frustration as he walked off the pitch and exchanged words with Chelle before taking his seat on the bench.
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Ndidi explains reaction and promises talks
Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi later addressed the incident, seeking to downplay any suggestion of discord while acknowledging Osimhen’s emotional investment in the game.
Speaking at the post-match press conference as monitored by Soccernet.ng, Ndidi said he did not witness the exchange directly but fully understood the striker’s reaction.
“I didn't see that but it is what it is, he is a big player, he wants to do the best for the team, maybe a bit frustrated.
“It's normal, we are human beings, maybe he feels like the game didn't go his way because he was trying for the team, that's the kind of player he is, we needed him.
“So, I think he is kind of putting too much pressure on himself. I am going to speak to him, he is a great guy, he wants to win, everyone wants to win.”
Nigeria boss Chelle: Positives first, but work remains
Head coach Eric Chelle also struck a balanced tone, praising Nigeria’s attacking intent in the first half while admitting the performance dipped after the break.
Chelle said: “We have to analyse this win because in the first half we did a lot of good things, we created a lot of chances to score. In the second half, we gave Tanzania the chance to come back into the game with two mistakes.
“We are satisfied with the three points. That is the most important. For the moment, I want to focus on the positives. The second part of the game shows clearly that there is still some work to be done, especially when it comes to killing the game.
“We are aware of this, and we will work on it. We are happy to win, and the most important thing at AFCON is to improve in every game.”
Nigeria now sit second in Group C behind Tunisia, who beat Uganda 3–1 on the same night. The Super Eagles face the Carthage Eagles next on Saturday, December 27, a fixture likely to offer a truer measure of their title credentials.
