Nigeria concluded a flawless Africa Cup of Nations group stage campaign with a commanding 3-1 victory over a chaotic Uganda side in Fes on Tuesday. The Super Eagles' win, built on a Raphael Onyedika brace and a Paul Onuachu strike, secured top spot in Group C with a maximum nine points and sent the East Africans home.
Super Eagles Soar Despite Rotated Side
Having already guaranteed first place, Nigeria manager Jose Peseiro took the opportunity to rest several regular starters. Despite the changes, his side delivered a dominant performance. The deadlock was broken after 28 minutes when Paul Onuachu, who had earlier missed a simple chance, made amends. He finished neatly from a Fisayo Dele-Bashiru pass to score his first international goal in four years.
Nigeria doubled their lead just after the hour mark. Samuel Chukwueze found Raphael Onyedika, who drilled a low shot through the legs of Ugandan goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi. Onyedika grabbed his second and Nigeria's third just five minutes later, side-footing home after another assist from the influential Chukwueze.
Uganda's Goalkeeping Crisis and Consolation
For Uganda, the match descended into farce, compounding a difficult tournament. Their first-choice keeper, Denis Onyango, was forced off with an injury. His replacement, Salim Magoola, was later shown a red card, forcing manager Paul Put to field a third goalkeeper in Nafian Alionzi. The Cranes did manage a late consolation when Rogers Mato capitalised on a defensive lapse to lift the ball over the Nigerian keeper with 15 minutes remaining.
The 3-1 defeat confirmed Uganda's elimination from the competition. Their campaign was marked by misfortune and indiscipline, culminating in the bizarre statistic of using three different goalkeepers in a single match.
Tanzania's Historic Progression
In the group's other fixture, Tanzania wrote a new chapter in their football history. They fought back to secure a 1-1 draw with Tunisia, a result that proved enough to send them into the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.
Tunisia had taken the lead just before half-time through an Ismaël Gharbi penalty. However, Feisal Salum levelled for the Taifa Stars just three minutes after the restart with a powerful drive. That single point was sufficient, as Tanzania advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams in the tournament.
The draw means Tunisia finish second in Group C and will now face Mali in Casablanca on Saturday in the last 16. Tanzania's remarkable reward is a knockout tie against tournament hosts Morocco, which will take place in Rabat on Sunday.
With Group C concluded, attention turns to the final matches in Group D. Senegal, DR Congo, and Benin are all assured of progression, while Botswana face a must-win match to keep their own hopes alive.
