Nigeria underlined their title credentials at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a commanding 3–1 triumph over Uganda, sealing top spot in Group C and abruptly ending the Cranes’ tournament journey on Tuesday night at the Complexe Sportif de Fes.
The Super Eagles set the tone early, pressing with intent and purpose. Victor Osimhen almost announced Nigeria’s dominance inside the opening five minutes, bursting into the box before being denied by a sharp Denis Onyango, who reacted quickly to smother the danger.
Uganda briefly showed flashes of resistance. In the 13th minute, Rogers Mato rose well to meet a teasing delivery, but his header drifted just wide, summing up a night where fine margins refused to fall their way.
AFCON 2025: Schedule, results and standings of the Africa Cup of Nations
Nigeria steadily tightened the grip. Onyango was called into action again in the 27th minute, producing an excellent close-range save to keep out Samuel Chukwueze, but the pressure proved relentless.
Just a minute later, the deadlock was finally broken. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru split the Ugandan defence with a perfectly weighted pass, allowing Paul Onuachu to arrive unmarked and calmly tap into an empty net.
Any hopes of a Ugandan revival after the break were dealt a crushing blow in the 56th minute when Salim Magoola was shown a straight red card by referee Djindo Louis Houngnandande for handling the ball outside the penalty area, leaving the Cranes with ten men and an uphill battle.
Nigeria wasted little time capitalising. In the 62nd minute, Raphael Onyedika found space in the channel after a clever setup from Chukwueze and fired a low strike through the legs of goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi to double the advantage. The midfield enforcer struck again five minutes later, completing his brace with a shot that deflected through a crowded box and nestled into the net, exposing Uganda’s stretched and scrambling backline.
To their credit, the Cranes refused to fold completely. Rogers Mato grabbed a consolation goal in the 75th minute, finishing confidently after being picked out by Allan Okello, but it did little to alter the outcome.
The #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 Journey ends.
All eyes on #AFCON2027 🏆 pic.twitter.com/332qVHfnV7
— Uganda Cranes (@UgandaCranes) December 30, 2025
The final whistle confirmed Nigeria’s flawless group-stage campaign, finishing with a perfect nine points from three matches and firm momentum heading into the knockout rounds. For Uganda, the defeat marked a sobering end to their AFCON 2025 adventure, closing their campaign with just a single point to show for their efforts.
