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Nigeria are back in the AFCON 2027 qualifying race. Tolu Arokodare came off the bench at half-time to score twice in eight minutes and turn a nervy afternoon in Uyo into a 3-1 win over Tanzania, lifting the Super Eagles to six points in Group L — one behind leaders Guinea-Bissau.
Alhassan Yusuf had given Eric Chelle's side a dream start after just two minutes, but Alphonce Msanga levelled for the Taifa Stars before the break and, for a spell, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium fell quiet. It took a half-time reshuffle — and the Ajax striker — to settle it, as Complete Sports reported from Uyo.
Two minutes in, then a familiar wobble
Nigeria could not have asked for a better opening. Akor Adams won possession high up the pitch and fed Ademola Lookman, who picked out Yusuf to fire the hosts ahead inside two minutes.
Instead of building on it, Nigeria let Tanzania back in. Nathaniel Chilambo threatened on a forward run around the half-hour, and on 32 minutes the equaliser arrived: captain Wilfred Ndidi lost possession, Novatus Miroshi drove the counter-attack and squared for Msanga, who went past Calvin Bassey and finished beyond Stanley Nwabali.
The half ended with a worry as well as a warning. Lookman, the creator of the opener, went off injured five minutes before the interval and was replaced by Moses Simon — a concern Chelle will hope is minor before Tuesday's return fixture.
Chelle's half-time call changes the game
Chelle made two more changes at the break, sending on Arokodare for Tochukwu Nnadi and Moses Usor for the scorer Yusuf. Seven minutes later the game had turned.
On 52 minutes Arokodare flicked home Ndidi's cross from the right to restore the lead. On 60 minutes he struck again, firing a low left-footed effort under the goalkeeper after Usor's dangerous cross was not dealt with. Two substitutes had combined for the goal that killed the contest, and BusinessDay noted Arokodare later went close to a hat-trick, denied one-on-one in the 86th minute.
Tanzania, to their credit, kept coming. Bassey produced an important block on 72 minutes and a header drifted wide with nine minutes left, but Nigeria finished with 65 per cent possession and seven shots on target from 13 attempts, against two on target from eight for the visitors.
What this does to Group L
The win is a direct response to September's damaging 3-0 defeat by Guinea-Bissau, which followed an opening 2-1 win over Madagascar and left Nigeria playing catch-up. Guinea-Bissau's 1-1 draw with Madagascar on Thursday means the Super Eagles now sit second on six points, one off the top, with Madagascar third on two and Tanzania on one — although Tanzania are already assured of a place at the finals as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda.
It is the same pattern elsewhere in this round: big names are having to rescue campaigns rather than stroll through them, just as Senegal did in their own qualifier this week. For Nigeria, the job is only half done — the return fixture in Zanzibar on Tuesday, November 17, is now the chance to move level with, or past, the leaders before the final rounds in March.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is why Arokodare matters. Nigeria's problem in this campaign has not been creating a headline striker — it has been finishing games that drift. A half-time substitute scoring twice in eight minutes, with his fellow substitute making the second, tells Chelle his bench can win qualifiers, not just fill them. Start him in Zanzibar and Nigeria look like group winners again; waste this momentum and the Guinea-Bissau defeat becomes the story of the group.
Super Eagles fans — should Arokodare start the return game in Zanzibar on Tuesday, or is he more dangerous coming off the bench? Tell us in the comments.
