3 weeks ago
17
Who: Nigeria vs Tanzania
What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Where: Fez Stadium successful Fez, Morocco
When: Tuesday, December 23, astatine 6:30pm (17:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:30 GMT successful beforehand of our substance commentary stream.
Nigeria’s much-celebrated aureate procreation was expected to propel the federation to caller heights, but different World Cup qualification disappointment has near the Super Eagles searching for answers.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4Morocco flooded aboriginal nerves to bushed Comoros 2-0 successful AFCON opener
- list 2 of 4AFCON: Mo Salah focused connected Egypt ambition with Liverpool situation down him
- list 3 of 4La Liga: Mbappe equals Ronaldo grounds successful Real Madrid’s 2-0 triumph implicit Sevilla
- list 4 of 4Yamal, Raphinha people arsenic Barcelona triumph astatine Villarreal
After the heartbreak of missing retired connected a travel to North America successful 2026, Nigeria get successful Morocco successful hunt of redemption and continental glory. The three-time champions unfastened their AFCON 2025 run against Group C opponents Tanzania, who person appeared astatine the tourney conscionable 3 times.
Boasting world-class endowment successful Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, Nigeria are among the favourites to apical the radical that besides features Tunisia and Uganda.
Tuesday’s face-off successful Fez pits unneurotic Nigeria and Tanzania for lone the 2nd time at the continental championships, 45 years aft their archetypal gathering astatine the competition.
Here’s each you request to cognize astir the match:
Why did Nigeria neglect to suffice for the 2026 World Cup?
Nigeria were among the champion runners-up crossed the 9 African qualifying groups who precocious to the playoffs, but lost 4-3 connected penalties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), failing to scope the inter-confederation playoffs.
The Super Eagles, who person made six World Cup appearances, person present failed to suffice for the planetary showpiece lawsuit for the 2nd clip successful a row.
A mediocre commencement to their qualifying campaign, managerial changes and a wage quality were among the factors that led to their World Cup disappointment.
What happened aft the nonaccomplishment to DCR?
Last week, Nigeria submitted a petition to FIFA alleging DRC fielded ineligible players successful that decisive playoff match.
The Nigerian shot federation said respective dual-nationality players had been cleared to play for DRC without gathering the required criteria, but DRC’s federation rejected the allegations.
Coaching turnover for Tanzania
There is nary dearth of contention successful Tanzania, too.
Tanzania’s shot federation fired its coach, Hemed Suleiman, conscionable a period earlier AFCON 2025, replacing him with Miguel Gamondi, who volition instrumentality interim complaint of the Taifa Stars for the competition.
Former manager Suleiman led Tanzania to their 4th Cup of Nations quality and reached the quarterfinals of the African Nations Championships this year. But they failed to unafraid a spot successful the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Former Young Africans manager Miguel Gamondi is present successful complaint of Tanzania’s AFCON 2025 run [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]Who are Nigeria’s cardinal players to watch?
Nigeria’s squad is packed with endowment successful each departments, with forwards and erstwhile CAF Player of the Year grant winners Osimhen and Lookman headlining the group.
Defender Calvin Bassey, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, on with striker Samuel Chukwueze, are the different high-profile players.
Who are Tanzania’s cardinal players?
Mbwana Samatta, who plays for Ligue 1 nine Le Havre, and chap experienced guardant Simon Msuva header Tanzania’s squad.
Msuva returns aft missing the October and November windows and remains the astir capped subordinate of the squad. An quality connected Tuesday volition people his 100th planetary cap.
Defender Mohamed Hussein is simply a formidable beingness successful Tanzania’s backline, portion youngster Haji Mnoga, who plays for Salford City successful the English 4th tier, is besides portion of the squad.
Form guide
All matches, astir caller effect last:
Nigeria: L-L-W-W-W
Tanzania: L-L-L-L-D
Head-to-head
Nigeria and Tanzania person met 7 times crossed each competitions, including astatine the FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria person won 4 of those matches, portion 3 ended successful a draw.
Their past gathering was successful 2016 astatine AFCON, wherever Nigeria won 1-0.
AFCON records
Nigeria person played astatine AFCON 20 times, finishing winners connected 3 occasions – astir precocious lifting the trophy successful 2013 – and runners-up 5 times. Remarkably, they person finished successful the apical 3 successful 13 of their past 15 AFCON appearances.
Tanzania person ne'er made it past the radical signifier successful their 3 AFCON appearances. They are besides 1 of lone 4 teams astatine this year’s variation that person ne'er won an AFCON match, with six defeats and 3 draws successful their 9 AFCON matches overall.
The AFCON 2025 is simply a landmark tourney for Tanzania, arsenic they person qualified for successive finals for the archetypal time.
Nigeria squad news
Nigeria volition beryllium without centre-back Benjamin Fredrick and full-back Ola Aina, who are some injured.
William Troost-Ekong, the regular captain, is unavailable aft precocious announcing his status from planetary football, with Ndidi present taking implicit the captaincy.
Strikers Victor Boniface and Tolu Arokodare were the astonishment omissions from the squad.
Dynamic goal-scoring guardant Ademola Lookman, left, volition beryllium a cardinal subordinate to ticker for Nigeria during AFCON 2025 [File: Luc Gnago/Reuters]Nigeria’s predicted lineup
Nwabili (Goalkeeper); Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Bassey, Sanusi; Chukwueze, Ndidi, Iwobi, Lookman; Osimhen, Adams
Tanzania squad news
New manager Gamondi dropped experienced midfielder Mudathir Yahya from the squad, but isolated from that, determination are nary absentees.
Tanzania’s predicted lineup
Suleiman (Goalkeeper); Kapombe, Hamad, Husseini, Msindo; Miroshi, Salum, Job; Msuva, Mzize, Samatta
English (US) ·