Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen ©Nabil Ramdani/BackpagePix
Monday Dec 22, 2025. 09:59
Group C action begins at the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday as Nigeria and Tanzania face-off at the Fez Stadium in Fez, Morocco.
Kick-off is at 7:30pm CAT.
Nigeria comes into the tournament on the back of international heartbreak, having lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the final of the African play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, missing out on a second consecutive World Cup.
Under head coach Éric Chelle, who took the reins in January, the Super Eagles went unbeaten in all six of their group stage World Cup qualifiers in 2025, managing four wins and one draw before a 4-1 play-off semi-final win over Gabon and eventual penalty loss to DR Congo.
Stacked with internationally-based talent, the Super Eagles will be looking to remind the continent of its pedigree and dominance and add a fourth AFCON title to the nation’s trophy cabinet.
Making its fourth appearance at the continental showpiece, Tanzania will be looking to exceed expectations.
The Taifa Stars’ home-based talent performed well on home soil at the African Nations Championship in August, reaching the quarterfinals where they fell to eventual champions Morocco.
Tanzania struggled in World Cup qualifying in 2025, managing one win in a walk-over against the Republic of the Congo along with three losses and one draw.
Despite having never advanced past the tournament’s group stage, the Taifa Stars will be looking to cause a stir and make history at this edition in Morocco.
The two sides have met three times, with their last encounter coming in 2016. They played out a goalless draw in 2015 before Nigeria claimed a 1-0 win in 2016 but the first meeting between them came at the 1980 AFCON, where the Super Eagles opened their campaign with a 3–1 victory in Lagos.
By Nic Gleeson