Two African football heavyweights, Egypt and Nigeria, have become the first teams to qualify for the Round of 16 at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following impressive starts to the tournament.
Both nations sealed their places in the knockout stage after recording victories in their opening two group matches.
Egypt confirmed their qualification with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa on Friday. Despite being reduced to ten men in the first half after a red card, the Pharaohs showed resilience to defend their narrow lead. The win followed their 2–1 opening match triumph over Zimbabwe, giving them six points from two games.
In Group C, Nigeria also booked an early ticket to the last 16 after edging Tunisia 3–2 in a thrilling top-of-the-table encounter.
The Super Eagles raced into a commanding three-goal lead through strikes from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman, putting Eric Chelle’s side firmly in control. Tunisia, however, mounted a late comeback, pulling two goals back via a Montassar Talbi header and an Ali Abdi penalty, but Nigeria held on to secure maximum points.
With six points each, Egypt and Nigeria now sit comfortably atop their respective groups and will head into their final group matches without pressure, having already secured qualification.
The 2025 AFCON continues across various venues as the race for the remaining knockout spots intensifies.
Discover more from NATIONAL BEAM
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
