AFCON 2025: Nigeria cruise into Round of 16 as red card, goalkeeping chaos compound Uganda’s painful exit
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 30.12.25. | 22:08
All three Ugandan goalkeepers managed to get playing time in the game that saw Nigeria rest some of their key players
African giants Nigeria extended with their perfect start at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), edging ten-man Uganda 3-1 in their final Group C match.
The two teams met at the 45,000 seater Complexe Sportif de Fes with different ambitions.
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Nigeria were seeking to maintain their perfect start, while Uganda were desperately angling for a win and possibly sail to the knockout stage.
Nigeria had already secured victories over Tanzania and Tunisia, in their first two matches, while Uganda had suffered defeat against Tunisia and secured a draw against Tanzania.
As hinted in his pre-match press conference, Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle made several changes to his starting eleven, handing some regular starters a rest, while giving opportunities to other squad players.
Nigeria started on the front foot and had their first chance in the second minute, when Victor Osimhen ran onto a lofted ball into the box but his shot was well collected by goalkeeper Dennis Onyango.
Both teams had a flurry of half chances heading into the 20th minute but none was good enough to produce the opening goal.
The match’s biggest chance came in the 28th when Nigeria’s Paul Onuachu left his marker and unleashed a shot to the bottom corner that drew a save from Onyango.
Onuachu was not to be denied seconds later when he beautifully controlled a ball inside the box from Fisayo Dele and rifled the ball into the left side of the post to break the deadlock.
Onyango went down again in the 32nd minute and needed medical attention for the third time in the 40th minute.
Nigeria controlled the match to prevent any harm from Uganda, as the two sides headed to the break with the scoreline at 1-0.
The knock seemed to have gotten the better of the veteran goalkeeper as he was subbed off at halftime with Salim Magoola taking his place.
Coach Paul Put also introduced Allan Okello and Stephen Mukwala for Travis Mutuaba and Denis Omedi in a bid to bolster his attack.
However, it was Nigeria who came close to scoring early in the half when Chidozie Awaziem’s strike missed the left post by a whisker with Magoola well beaten.
Uganda’s afternoon turned from bad to worse when Magoola was shown a straight red card by referee Djindo Louis for handling outside his territory.
Consequently, Put was forced to sacrifice Baba Alhassan for his third goalkeeper of the day, Nafian Alionzi.
Alionzi was welcomed into the match by Raphael Onyedika, who picked up a Samwel Chukweze pass and hit a low shot into the back of the net to double Nigeria’s lead in the 62nd minute.
Onyedika was back at it five minutes later when he got to the end of a Chukweze killer pass and in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, drilled the ball into the bottom right corner.
Despite going down by three goals, Uganda still showed the will to fight and were rewarded by a consolation in the 75th minute when Okello set up Rogers Mato for the consolation goal
AFCON 2025 - GROUP STAGE
3rd round
Monday
Angola - Egypt 0-0
Zimbabwe - South Africa 2-3 (1-1)
/Maswanhise 19, Modiba 73 og - Moremi 7, Foster 50, Appollis 82 pen/
Comoros - Mali 0-0
Zambia - Morocco 0-3 (0-2)
/El Kaabi 9, 50, Diaz 27/
Tuesday
Tanzania - Tunisia 1-1 (0-1)
/Salum 48 - Gharbi 43 pen/
Uganda - Nigeria 1-3 (0-1)
/Mato 75 - Onuachu 28, Onyedika 62, 67/
22.00: (11.0) Benin (5.20) Senegal (1.30)
22.00: (12.0) Botswana (5.60) DR Congo (1.27)
Wednesday
19.00: (6.00) Equatorial Guinea (3.60) Algeria (1.65)
19.00: (4.60) Sudan (3.35) Burkina Faso (1.87)
22.00: (6.00) Gabon (3.60) Ivory Coast (1.65)
22.00: (7.00) Mozambique (4.50) Cameroon (1.45)
***odds are subject to change***
