Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi has reflected on a memorable night after scoring Nigeria’s first goal of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 and being named Man of the Match in the 2–1 win over Tanzania.
Ajayi broke the deadlock in the first half and admitted the moment carried special significance, stressing the importance of starting the tournament on a positive note.
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“Scoring for your country is always special, especially in a game like this,” Ajayi said. “It helps us get off to a good start and gives the team confidence.”
The centre-back also pointed to the collective mindset within the Super Eagles squad, noting that goals can come from anywhere on the pitch.
“We had a great tournament in Côte d’Ivoire and that’s the standard we’ve set for ourselves. We are a team — it’s not just about the attackers scoring. I’m happy I could contribute to the team’s success.”
Despite the victory, Ajayi acknowledged there is still work to be done as the competition progresses.
“There were plenty of positives, but also areas we need to improve. We’ll work on that so we can manage games better going forward,” he added.
Nigeria began their AFCON 2025 campaign with a hard-earned 2–1 victory over Tanzania on Tuesday evening. The Super Eagles controlled much of the first half and were rewarded in the 36th minute when Ajayi powered home a header from an Alex Iwobi corner.
The set piece followed a goal-line clearance by Bakari Mwamnyeto after Victor Osimhen’s close-range effort.
Nigeria continued to assert themselves through Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon, but were unable to add to their lead before the break.
The tempo increased after the restart, with Nigeria briefly thinking they had doubled their advantage through Osimhen, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Tanzania took advantage moments later as Novatus Dismas played through Charles M’Mbowa, who finished calmly in the 50th minute to equalise.
The joy was short-lived, however, as Lookman responded almost immediately, curling a fine strike from the edge of the area to restore Nigeria’s lead.
From then on, the Super Eagles managed the game effectively, limiting Tanzania to few clear chances.
A late opportunity from Ibrahim Hamad came to nothing, as Nigeria held on to secure all three points.
