Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has urged his squad to raise their level of performance after Nigeria secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Tanzania in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opener in Fez.
Gossip News Now reports that while the Super Eagles emerged victorious at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, the match was far from straightforward, with Tanzania pushing Nigeria throughout, particularly in the second half.
Semi Ajayi opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a powerful header from an Alex Iwobi cross, marking his second goal for the national team. Tanzania quickly responded after the break when Charles M’Mombwa capitalized on a defensive lapse to level the score. However, Ademola Lookman restored Nigeria’s lead almost immediately with a stunning long-range effort.
Despite the win, Chelle emphasized that improvement remains essential.
“We have to analyse this win because we did a lot of good things in the first half to create chances to score,” Chelle 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. Of course, we are happy with the three points, but at the AFCON, the most important thing is to improve with every game.”
Ajayi, who earned the official CAF Man of the Match award, showcased his all-around influence, dominating aerial duels, winning ground contests, and helping maintain the team’s organization during periods of Tanzanian pressure.
“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 good start. I was very pleased,” Ajayi said.
He also stressed the importance of collective responsibility, adding, “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.”
Looking ahead, Chelle acknowledged that Nigeria faces a stern challenge in their next Group C fixture against Tunisia.
“Tunisia are a big team. 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,” he said.
The Super Eagles, runners-up in the last AFCON, are pursuing their fourth continental title, having previously lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
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