Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has warned that Nigeria must quickly find another level at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), even after opening their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Tanzania in Fez.
Naija News reports that the Super Eagles marked the start of their Group C journey with victory at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, but it was far from comfortable.
Forty-five years after defeating the Taifa Stars 3-1 in the opening game of the 1980 tournament, the Super Eagles again emerged on top, though only after being stretched for long spells, especially in the second half.
Semi Ajayi set Nigeria on their way in the 36th minute, powering a header into the far corner from an Alex Iwobi cross. It was the defender’s second international goal and the reward for sustained Nigerian pressure before the break.
Tanzania responded shortly after the restart when Charles M’Mombwa punished a lapse in concentration to draw his side level. The setback did not last long, however, as Ademola Lookman restored Nigeria’s lead almost immediately with a fine strike from distance.
From there, Chelle’s men were forced to dig deep. Tanzania pushed forward in search of another equaliser, and Nigeria had to rely on defensive discipline and calm game management to see out the contest and secure all three points.
Despite the win, Chelle made it clear he was not entirely satisfied.
“We have to analyse this win because we did a lot of good things in the first half to create chances to score,” the Franco-Malian coach said. “We had many opportunities, but in the second half, we gave Tanzania the chance to come back into the game. We made two mistakes.”
He added, “Of course, we are happy with the three points, but at the AFCON, the most important thing is to improve with every game. After our analysis, we have to continue to improve.”
Ajayi’s influence went far beyond his goal. The 31-year-old produced a commanding all-round display that earned him the official Man of the Match award from CAF. He dominated his duels, won all of his aerial battles and ground contests, and played a key role in keeping Nigeria organised during late pressure from the Tanzanians.
Speaking after the match, Ajayi said, “It is an amazing feeling. It is always special to score for your country, especially in a game like this where it helped us get off to a really good start. I was very pleased.”
He was also quick to stress that the team were already looking ahead to improvements.
“We are aware of the areas where we need to do better, particularly in seeing out games and killing teams off. We will be working very hard on the training pitch to put that right,” he said.
Ajayi described the performance as a reflection of the squad’s collective mindset. He noted, “It shows that we are one team. We cannot rely only on the attackers to score goals. We need contributions from all over the pitch. Defenders and midfielders also have to chip in if we want to do well in the tournament.”
Nigeria, runners-up at the last tournament after losing the final to hosts Ivory Coast, are chasing a fourth continental title, having previously lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994 and 2013. Attention now turns to Saturday’s clash with Tunisia, a test Chelle believes will demand a clear step up.
“Tunisia are a big team,” he said. “We have to improve defensively, and we need more movement both when we have the ball and when we don’t. I congratulate my players for the win, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
