AFCON 2025 Sh*ck: Tunisia Breaks Opening Curse, Senegal, Nigeria, DR Congo Shine

Tunisia finally ended their long-standing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opening-day hoodoo on Tuesday night, with Elias Achouri’s brace guiding the Carthage Eagles to a 3-1 triumph over Uganda in Rabat.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The North Africans had not won their first match at the AFCON finals in 12 years, but they broke that run emphatically in their Group C opener at the 2025 tournament. Ellyes Skhiri set the tone early, firing Tunisia ahead after just 10 minutes. Achouri doubled the lead before halftime and completed his brace shortly after the hour mark, showcasing Tunisia’s attacking dominance. Denis Omedi pulled one back for Uganda deep in stoppage time, but the result had long been decided.

Despite enjoying slightly more possession, Uganda struggled to match Tunisia’s incisiveness in the final third. The victory propels Tunisia to the top of Group C on goal difference, ahead of Nigeria, with Tanzania in third place and Uganda at the bottom.

In Fes, Nigeria faced a sterner test but eventually edged Tanzania 2-1 in their Group C clash. The Super Eagles controlled much of the first half, hitting the woodwork through Akor Adams and seeing Victor Osimhen denied by a fine save. The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Semi Ajayi powered home Alex Iwobi’s corner delivery. Tanzania briefly leveled early in the second half via Charles M’Mombwa, but just 108 seconds later, Ademola Lookman restored Nigeria’s lead with a powerful left-footed strike from another Iwobi assist. Despite late pressure from Tanzania, Nigeria held on, thanks to critical defensive interventions, leaving the Super Eagles in strong shape ahead of a thrilling showdown with Tunisia.

Group D action saw Senegal assert themselves with a 3-0 win over Botswana at the Grand Stade de Tanger. Nicolas Jackson scored in each half, with substitute Cherif Ndiaye adding a late third. Jackson opened the scoring in the 40th minute following a cut-back from Ismail Jakobs and doubled the lead just before the hour mark. The Bayern Munich striker narrowly missed completing a hat-trick, while Botswana’s goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko kept the scoreline respectable with several key saves.

Earlier, DR Congo secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Benin in a match filled with missed opportunities and late drama. Théo Bongonda’s first-half strike proved decisive after Benin’s defence faltered, allowing him to slot calmly into the corner. Cedric Bakambu appeared to extend the lead in the second half, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside. Benin pressed late but could not find an equaliser, as DR Congo extended their impressive run on foreign soil to six consecutive wins.

Attention now turns to Wednesday’s fixtures, with Burkina Faso taking on Equatorial Guinea, Algeria facing Sudan, Ivory Coast clashing with Mozambique, and Cameroon meeting Gabon as the AFCON group-stage action continues.

AFCON Fixtures for Wednesday, December 24

• Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea – 1:30 p.m.

• Algeria vs Sudan – 4:00 p.m.

• Ivory Coast vs Mozambique – 6:30 p.m.

• Cameroon vs Gabon – 9:00 p.m.