Nigeria started AFCON 2025 with exactly what matters most in tournament football: three points. A 2-1 win over Tanzania in the Group C opener at the Fez Stadium (Complexe Sportif de Fès) was not perfect, but it was productive, and it was earned the hard way. Semi Ajayi’s first-half header set the early tone, Tanzania hit back through Charles M’Mombwa after the break, and within minutes Ademola Lookman answered with a brilliant strike to settle a lively, tense contest.

There was color and energy everywhere. Nigeria in green and black, Tanzania in blue and yellow, and a referee from Mauritania, Dan Vader, keeping a close handle on a game that refused to slow down. The second half began with Nigeria up 1-0, but it very quickly became a test of nerve.

Ajayi’s header gives Nigeria a platform

In games like this, the first goal can change everything. Ajayi provided it with a clean header in the first half, rewarding Nigeria’s early intent and calm on set pieces. It was a simple action with a big impact: a good delivery, a strong leap, and a clinical finish.

That moment did more than lift the scoreline. It steadied Nigeria’s bench and gave the team something to protect and build upon. In a tight group, these are the sequences that separate slow starts from settled ones. As one post-match line summed up the broader feeling, “It’s not a statement win, but it is three points guaranteed and the perfect platform to launch into their campaign.”

“Set-pieces might be Nigeria’s hidden edge in Morocco.”

Tanzania’s response: M’Mombwa changes the mood

Trailing 0-1 at the break, Tanzania needed belief and accuracy. They found both after halftime. Charles M’Mombwa’s equalizer was the product of sharp reaction and pressure. It was the goal the second half seemed to be building toward, and it forced Nigeria to answer questions that had not been asked in the first 45 minutes.

The equalizer also showed that Tanzania were not overawed by the occasion or the opponent. They kept the ball longer, won second balls, and played with a touch more bravery. For a team with big ambitions, that spell of play will be a reference point for the rest of their Group C journey.

“That equalizer says Tanzania won’t be passengers in Group C.”

Ademola Lookman answers fast with the winner

And then came the moment that decided it. Minutes after M’Mombwa drew Tanzania level, Ademola Lookman stepped up and delivered a strike of real quality to put Nigeria back in front. It was direct, clean, and timely. That is what big players do in tight tournament games: they swing the mood back in their team’s favor.

One live update captured the speed and force of the response: “LUKMAN DELIVERS AGAIN. Adam Lukman with a fine goal that takes Nigeria back in front mere minutes after an equalizer for Tanzania.” Spelling aside, the sentiment was right. Lookman’s finish was the difference between one point and three, and the lift Nigeria needed to see out the final stretch.

“If Lookman keeps firing, Nigeria’s ceiling jumps fast.”

AFCON 2025 Group C stakes: not flashy, but vital

Openers rarely decide a tournament, but they often decide the tone. Nigeria’s win in Fez felt like a tone-setter. It was not flawless. It did not turn heads across the whole continent. Yet it did what great tournament teams do: it handled trouble and found a match-winner at the key moment.

The phrase that kept coming up post-match was telling: “It’s not a statement win, but it is three points guaranteed.” That is the tournament formula. Bank the points, bank the confidence, and keep the legs fresh. In short group schedules, perfection is less important than progress.

Fez Stadium energy, colors, and control

The Complexe Sportif de Fès provided a vivid stage. Nigeria’s green-and-black kit cut through the evening light; Tanzania’s blue-and-yellow popped across the stands. The intensity never dipped. Both teams pushed, both teams looked for space to run, and the crowd rode every tackle and half-chance.

Referee Dan Vader of Mauritania kept the game moving. He was visible when he needed to be and calm when the tempo rose, a useful presence in a match that could have spilled over after the equalizer swung the momentum.

What the result tells us about Nigeria vs Tanzania

This game offered a rough sketch of both teams. For Nigeria, the message is simple: there is a reliable spine and match-winning quality in the final third. A defender scored the opener, and a forward settled the contest. That blend wins tournaments.

For Tanzania, there is reason to believe. The fightback after halftime was real, the equalizer was earned, and the team showed it can live with the pace and power of Group C. If they carry that belief into their next games, points will follow.

• Nigeria’s set-piece threat matters. Ajayi’s header is a reminder that dead balls are high-value chances.
• Tanzania’s mid-game surge was no accident. It came from pressure and bravery, not luck.
• Lookman’s timing is gold. Scoring minutes after conceding flips a team’s mood and the match’s arc.

What’s next in Group C

From here, Nigeria can grow. The basics are in place: a solid start, goals from different areas, and a response under stress. The challenge is to turn this platform into momentum and performance. Control the middle more, take care of the ball, and keep the tempo when leading.

Tanzania will circle the good moments and bank the lesson. The equalizer proved they can punch back. The task now is to turn pressure spells into more clear chances, and to protect the space that opened up for Lookman after they scored.

Final word: three points, big picture

Openers are about results, not ribbons. Nigeria did the job in Fez. Ajayi’s early header, M’Mombwa’s spark, and Lookman’s winner created a tight, watchable game that said as much about nerve as it did about skill. It may not be the headline that shakes AFCON 2025, but it is the kind that moves a team forward. In tournament football, that is everything.

As the group unfolds, both teams will draw from this night. For Nigeria, it’s confidence with caution. For Tanzania, it’s belief with a clear to-do list. And for the rest of Group C, it’s an early reminder: every minute matters, and one brilliant strike can rewrite the story.