Raphael Onyedika scored twice and Paul Onuachu netted his first international goal in four years as Nigeria beat 10-man Uganda 3-1 on Tuesday to record a third win in Group C at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and send the East African side home.
Nigeria finished top of the pool with nine points followed by Tunisia and Tanzania, who reached the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed sides following their 1-1 draw with Tunisia on Tuesday.
It was a dominant performance from Nigeria despite resting several regulars having already been assured of top spot in the group.
Uganda netted a consolation through Rogers Mato and used three goalkeepers in the game following an injury and a red card for Salim Magoola, another calamity in a chaotic tournament for coach Paul Put’s side.
Tanzania grabbed a second-half equaliser to hold Tunisia to a 1-1 draw in their last Group C encounter at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday and book themselves a place in the last 16.
It was only Tanzania’s second point of the tournament but proved enough for them to advance as one of the four best third-placed finishers.
Feisal Salum’s powerful shot three minutes into the second half was enough to secure the draw after Tunisia had been ahead with a 43rd-minute penalty converted by Ismael Gharbi.
Tunisia ended second in the group behind Nigeria, who beat Uganda 3-1 in Fes at the same time.
Algeria will be looking to make it a perfect Africa Cup of Nations group phase when they face Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, particularly if they keep another clean sheet as goalkeeper Luca Zidane shines in Morocco.
The two-time African champions started their campaign with a 3-0 win over Sudan followed by a 1-0 victory against Burkina Faso to secure top spot in Group E in which Zidane made crucial saves to keep Vladimir Petkovic’s side in the game.
Algeria kept one clean sheet in their previous six games at AFCON, where they were eliminated in the group stage in 2021 and 2023 respectively after being crowned African champions in the 2019 edition in Egypt.
However, since Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winning great Zinedine, switched international allegiance in September after playing for France as a junior, Algeria have kept two clean sheets in three games with him in all competitions.
The 27-year-old Granada goalkeeper has adapted quickly since becoming first choice, Petkovic remarked.
“Zidane contributed significantly to both victories. He began to integrate and gain experience in a short period of time,” the coach said on Tuesday.
Despite only being with the team since October, Zidane has not been shy about instructing his new teammates, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri said.
“Luca is a fantastic person. He integrated quickly into the group, he’s very talkative on the pitch, and he gives us great support. He’s a player and a person who fits the team perfectly,” Ait-Nouri added.
Another clean sheet should not be too difficult against an Equatorial Guinea side who have been eliminated from the tournament having scored once in two games.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
