Nigeria 3-1 Tanzania: Arokodare brace fires Super Eagles to crucial AFCON qualifier win
Super Eagles stormed to a 3-1 victory over Tanzania to keep alive their hopes of reaching the next Africa Cup of Nations tournament, thanks to a brace from half-time substitute Tolu Arokodare, after the visitors had cancelled out Alhassan Yusuf’s opener.
After a 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau dealt a detrimental blow to their qualification chances, the Super Eagles were in luck as their main rivals were held to a draw in Madagascar on Thursday. This means winning their remaining games will be enough for the three-time African champions, regardless of the scorelines.
It was not all plain sailing, however, as the Taifa Stars gave their hosts a run for their money, with the first half ending all square before a second-half brace from substitute Tolu Arokodare extended Nigeria’s dominance in the fixture to three straight wins.
With grounds to make up for after the heavy defeat to Burkina Faso last time out in the qualifiers, Nigeria wasted no time in taking the lead following a mix-up in the visitors’ defence.
Akor Adams picked the pocket of a defender and passed the ball to Ademola Lookman, who teed up Alhassan Yusuf for a delightful finish past the goalkeeper just 102 seconds into the contest, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
Unfortunately, Eric Chelle’s team couldn’t build on the fast start as they allowed Tanzania to grow into the game.
The visitors were presented with a way back into the game following sloppy midfield play by Wilfred Ndidi, which resulted in a turnover of possession. Tanzania still had a lot to do, but they ultimately got it right as Novatus Morishi found Alphonce Msanga with a delightful cutback.
The Algeria-based midfielder then beat Nigeria’s aggressive defending before firing a shot past the onrushing Stanley Nwabali in goal.
It finished one-all at half-time, a result that left Nigeria in an uncomfortable position, three points behind Guinea-Bissau, who were held to a draw by Madagascar in Meknes on Thursday evening.
Nigeria were also forced into a late substitution towards the end of the first half as Ademola Lookman was withdrawn due to an apparent injury, with Moses Simon taking his place.
Two more changes followed at the interval, with Tolu Arokodare and Moses Usor replacing Tochukwu Nnadi and first-half goalscorer Alhassan Yusuf, respectively.
That decision proved decisive in the end as Tolu Arokodare scored a brace to overcome the resistance of the visitors, with the first coming just under seven minutes after the restart, when he sensationally converted a low cross from Wilfred Ndidi.
The second came from a cross into the heart of Tanzania’s defence by fellow half-time substitute Moses Usor. Arokodare controlled it with his chest before guiding a low shot past Aishi Manula, who was beaten for the third time in the match.
It finished 3-1 to the Super Eagles, who now have a better chance of reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria will qualify if they manage to win their remaining three games, and that campaign continues on Tuesday when they visit Zanzibar for the return leg.
For now, Eric Chelle and his team can rest and recover before their trip to Tanzania, but they must also be aware that winning the first match at home is only half the job done, especially given the embarrassing conclusion to the last international break.
