* Egypt qualified on Friday after Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty proved decisive for the Pharaohs to beat South Africa in a hard-fought match
* South Africa remain in contention, but must now win their final group fixture to guarantee progression — against fellow COSAFA member, Zimbabwe tomorrow
* Nigeria face Uganda in the final match of Group C on Tuesday while Tunisia, who are on three points, face Tanzania
Maravi Express
Nigeria have joined Egypt into the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 Round of 16 after beating Tunisia 3-2 last night.
Egypt qualified on Friday after Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty proved decisive for the Pharaohs to beat South Africa in a hard-fought match.
Last night the Super Eagles survived a dramatic late surge from Tunisia after a commanding 3-0 lead when a spirited Tunisian comeback in the final quarter turned the contest into a tense affair.
Goals from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi gave the Carthage Eagles renewed hope, but Nigeria showed composure to hold on and claim a vital win.
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Ademola Lookman had delivered a standout performance with two assists and a goal. A pinpoint delivery from the left by Lookman picked out Victor Osimhen, who rose powerfully to head home the opener a minute to halftime.
Carrying their momentum into the second half, Nigeria needed only four minutes after the restart to double their advantage as captain Wilfred Ndidi towered above the defense to nod in a Lookman corner.
Lookman, the 2024 CAF African Player of the Year, then capped a superb individual display in the 66th minute, rifling a left-footed strike into the net from inside the box after a clever cut-back by Osimhen.
Tunisia, however, refused to fold. In the 75th minute, Talbi reduced the deficit with a precise header from Hannibal Mejbri’s well-delivered free-kick. The goal sparked belief, and 10 minutes later the North Africans were handed a lifeline when VAR ruled that Bright Osayi-Samuel had handled the ball inside the area.
Ali Abdi stepped up confidently, smashing the penalty into the roof of the net to set up a nervy finish. Tunisia came agonizingly close to completing the comeback in stoppage time, but captain Ferjani Sassi’s header drifted inches wide.
Nigeria face Uganda in the final match of Group C on Tuesday while Tunisia, who are on three points, face Tanzania.
On Friday between Egypt and South Africa, there were two dramatic moments — VAR playing a hand to gift Egypt a penalty and the Pharaohs playing one man down in the second half after defender Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge shortly after the restart.
The match unfolded as a tense and evenly balanced contest, with both sides cautious in possession and clear chances at a premium — and the breakthrough arrived on the stroke of half-time following a VAR review, which saw the referee award Egypt a penalty after Khuliso Mudau was judged to have fouled Mohamed Salah inside the area.
The Egyptian captain remained composed, converting confidently down the middle to claim his second goal of the tournament but moments later, the complexion of the game changed dramatically when defender earned the red card — leaving the Pharaohs to defend their slender advantage with 10 men for the entire second half.
South Africa responded by taking control of possession and pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Hugo Broos’s side applied sustained pressure but found it difficult to break down a disciplined Egyptian defence marshalled by Yasser Ibrahim, with goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy producing a calm and assured performance.
Late drama followed in stoppage time when South Africa appealed for a penalty after a shot appeared to strike Yasser Ibrahim’s arm inside the area. After a VAR review, the referee upheld his original decision.
The result leaves South Africa to remain in contention, but must now win their final group fixture to guarantee progression — against fellow Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) member, Zimbabwe tomorrow as Egypt will conclude their group campaign against COSAFA side Angola.
So far results for COSAFA nations are: Comoros 0-2 Morocco; Zambia 0-0 Comoros; Zambia 1-1 Mali; South Africa 2-1 Angola; Zimbabwe 1-2 Egypt; Botswana 0-3 Senegal; Mozambique 0-1 Côte d’Ivoire; Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe; Benin 1-0 Botswana.
The rest of the results are: DR Congo 1-0 Benin; Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania; Tunisia 3-1 Uganda; Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea; Algeria 3-0 Sudan; Cameroon 1-0 Gabon, Morocco 1-1 Mali; Senegal 1-1 DR Congo, Uganda 1-1 Tanzania.
Fixtures
Today December 28
14:30 Gabon v Mozambique
17:00 Equatorial Guinea v Sudan
19:30 Algeria v Burkina Faso
22:00 Côte d’Ivoire v Cameroon
Tomorrow December 28
18:00 Zimbabwe v South Africa
18:00 Angola v Egypt
21:00 Zambia v Morocco
21:00 Comoros v Mali
Tuesday December 30
18:00 Uganda v Nigeria
18:00 Tanzania v Tunisia
21:00 Botswana v DR Congo
21:00 Benin-Senegal
Wednesday December 31
18:00 Equatorial Guinea v Algeria
18:00 Sudan v Burkina Faso
21:00 Gabon v Côte d’Ivoire
21:00 Mozambique v Cameroon
* Reporting by CAFonline, edited by Maravi Express
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