The Super Eagles struck first in the 36th minute when defender Semi Ajayi rose to glance home a header from an inviting Alex Iwobi cross delivered from the right. It was a reward for Nigeria’s early dominance, as they controlled possession and tempo throughout much of the opening half.
Eric Chelle’s side pushed for a second before the interval and came close when Samuel Chukwueze’s deflected effort forced a sharp reaction from Tanzania goalkeeper Zuberi Foba, who tipped the ball over the bar.
Tanzania showed renewed purpose after the restart and were level within five minutes. A lofted delivery from Novatus Miroshi found Charles M’Mombwa, who side-footed calmly past the Nigerian goalkeeper to make it 1-1 in the 50th minute.
The response from Nigeria was swift. Just two minutes later, former African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman reclaimed the lead in emphatic fashion, shifting the ball onto his left foot before unleashing a powerful strike into the top-right corner — a moment of quality that ultimately decided the contest.
Nigeria had chances to assert control earlier in the game. Akor Adams was denied twice inside the opening 12 minutes by Foba, while Victor Osimhen saw an effort cleared off the line by Bakari Mwamnyeto and later had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half.
Despite Tanzania’s brief resurgence, Lookman’s goal proved enough to secure all three points in front of a crowd of 11,444, the majority cheering on the West Africans.
The victory gives Nigeria a strong platform in Group C as they look to build momentum after finishing runners-up at the last tournament in Ivory Coast. They have not lifted the Afcon trophy since 2013, and this campaign follows the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup — a setback that prompted the Nigerian Football Federation’s “Naija 4 the Win” initiative.
The Super Eagles will aim to seal early qualification for the round of 16 when they face Tunisia in Fes on Saturday. Tanzania, meanwhile, travel to Rabat to take on Uganda in an all–East Africa encounter as they continue their search for a first-ever Afcon finals victory.
Nigeria will also take encouragement from history: they beat Tanzania in their opening match of the 1980 tournament on home soil — and went on to lift their first continental title.
