FEZ, Morocco — Nigeria’s Super Eagles delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday evening, securing a 3-1 victory over the Uganda Cranes in their ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.
A standout brace from Raphael Onyedika and a goalkeeping catastrophe for Uganda defined the encounter at the Stadium in Fez.
Nigeria broke the deadlock in the 28th minute through Paul Onuachu. The striker showed remarkable athleticism, stretching wide to meet a pinpoint cross from Dele-Bashiru on the left wing to slot home the opening goal.
The second half began with a significant setback for the East Africans. Captain and veteran goalkeeper Dennis Onyango was forced off due to injury at the restart, handing the gloves and the armband to Salim Magoola.
However, Magoola’s tenure was short-lived. Just 13 minutes after his introduction, he was shown a straight red card for handling the ball outside the penalty area. This forced Uganda to call upon their third-choice custodian, Nafian Alionzi, into a high-pressure environment.
Nigeria wasted no time exploiting Uganda’s depleted ranks. In the 58th minute, Raphael Onyedika doubled the lead, firing a clinical strike into the top corner following a clever cutback from Fulham winger Samuel Chukwueze.
Only five minutes later, the duo combined again. Onyedika capitalized on another Chukwueze assist to power home his second goal of the night, effectively ending the contest as a spectacle.
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Uganda managed to pull one back in the 75th minute when Rodgers Mato connected with an Allan Okello through-pass, expertly lobbing the ball over Nigeria’s Francis Uzoho. Despite the late surge, the result remained 3-1 in favor of the Super Eagles.
The defeat marks the end of the road for the Uganda Cranes, who finish at the bottom of Group C with a solitary point earned from their draw against Tanzania.
Meanwhile, Tanzania secured third place in the group with two points following their 1-1 draw with Tunisia in the evening’s simultaneous fixture.
