Nigeria ended their Group C campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 with an emphatic 3–1 victory over Uganda, maintaining their perfect record and confirming top place in the group, while Uganda bowed out of the tournament.
The Super Eagles started on the front foot and took the lead in the 28th minute through Paul Onuachu, who finished confidently with his right foot after a well-weighted assist from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
The goal gave Nigeria control of the contest as they dominated possession and territory heading into the interval.
Uganda’s task became significantly harder early in the second half when goalkeeper Salim Jammal was shown a straight red card in the 56th minute for handling the ball outside the penalty area.
The dismissal forced a reshuffle, with Alionzi coming on as the third-choice goalkeeper to replace Al’Hassan, further disrupting Uganda’s rhythm.
Nigeria capitalised on their numerical advantage in the 62nd minute, as Raphael Onyedika doubled the lead. Samuel Chukwueze provided the assist, and the midfielder finished calmly with his right foot.
Just five minutes later, the same combination struck again. Chukwueze once more turned provider, and Onyedika completed his brace in the 67th minute, effectively putting the game beyond reach.
Uganda showed resilience despite the setback and reduced the deficit in the 76th minute. Rogers Mato, who had been handed the captain’s armband following the injury to Dennis Onyango and the dismissal of Jammal, produced a moment of quality with a delicate right-footed lob after an assist from A. Okello.
The match was played against a backdrop of leadership changes for Uganda, with Onyango sidelined through injury and Jammal sent off, leaving Mato to lead the side in challenging circumstances.
In the other Group C fixture, Tanzania drew 1–1 with Tunisia, a result that confirmed Nigeria and Tunisia as the teams progressing to the round of 16, finishing first and second respectively. Uganda, despite moments of promise, finished bottom of Group C and were officially eliminated from the tournament.
Nigeria now move into the knockout phase with confidence, having won all three group matches, while Uganda exit AFCON 2025 with valuable experience gained on the continental stage.
