Some amazing numbers tumbled into the record books on Tuesday, as the Super Eagles started their outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania, Sports247 chronicles.
While The Taifa Stars are in only their third AFCON outing, Nigeria began their 21st campaign on a winning note and the Super Eagles made the best of their 105th match in the competition’s history.
Read Also: Majekodunmi Urges Unity, Peace As Nigerians Celebrate Christmas | Sports247 Nigeria
A superb cross from Alex Iwobi, resplendent in his 92nd cap, paved the way for Semi Ajayi to score his second ever goal for Nigeria on a night Tanzania’s captain, Mbwana Samatta had his 33rd birthday spoilt by the victory hungry Super Eagles.
A little over 11,000 spectators watched the Eagles defeat Tanzania inside Complexe Sportif de Fès, as both sides played out a repeat of their first clash at this level, which Nigeria won 3-1 in the opening game of the 1980 edition they hosted in Lagos and Ibadan.
The two goals against Tanzania on Tuesday shot Nigeria’s scoring tally at the AFCON to 148, with their next match in this campaign against Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles on Saturday at the same venue marking a repeat of their last-16 fixture of AFCON 2021.
Ironically, though, Nigeria’s second highest individual scorer in national team football history, Victor Osimhen’s inability to hit target on Tuesday meant he still has only one goal in nine AFCON appearances.
However, Osimhen, who has a total of 31 international goals (six behind Rashidi Yekini on 37), has a better scorecard than the legendary Nwankwo Kanu, who did not score a single goal in 27 AFCON games spread across a record six competitions (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010).
Dramatically, Tuesday’s match came on the date of unregistered Eagles’ striker, Victor Boniface’s birthday, as well as exactly a week after Eagles’ new captain, Wilfred Onyinyen Ndidi clocked 29 (December 16th) and he got his 72nd cap in Nigeria’s colours.
Other players in the present squad at AFCON 2025 whose birthdays are in December are Cyrirl Dessers (8th), Osimhen (29th) as well as Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey (31st) – meaning the last three will hope for hefty gifts after Saturday’s clash with Tunisia (27th).
