AFCON 2025: Ajayi, Ndidi speak on Super Eagles’ victory against Tanzania

By Victor Okoye

Semi Ajayi has said the victory of the Super Eagles against Tanzania in the ongoing 1XBET AFCON 2025 boosted the team’s confidence, describing it as a reward for collective effort and disciplined execution by the players.

Ajayi, who scored the first goal for Nigeria and was declared Man-of-the-Match, said this in an interview after the Super Eagles defeated Tanzania 2-1 in their first match in the competition.

Ajayi said scoring for Nigeria at 1XBET AFCON is special and crucial to securing a positive start in the competition.

Ajayi said the early victory boosted team confidence, describing it as a reward for collective effort and disciplined execution against Tanzania.

“Scoring for my country at a tournament like AFCON is always special. It gives us belief and sets the tone for the rest of the games,” Ajayi said.

He noted that the team created several chances and showed character, but stressed the need to improve in key areas.

“We did a lot of good things, especially going forward, but there are details we must fix as we move on in the tournament,” he added.

Ajayi said the squad was already focused on preparation for the next fixture, stressing unity and hard work.

“This is just the first step. We will analyse the game, learn from it and be ready for a tougher challenge ahead,” he said.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi said the players were satisfied with the opening win but remained focused on improvement.

“The first game is always tricky. Getting three points gives us confidence, but we know we can still do better,” Ndidi said.

Ndidi said the team had been challenged by the technical crew to maintain higher concentration levels in subsequent matches.

“We have spoken about being more solid and consistent. That will be very important in our next game,” he said.

Nigeria’s win over Tanzania marked their 21st AFCON appearance, pushing their all-time tournament goals tally to 148.

The Super Eagles will face Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles on Saturday at the Complexe Sportif de Fès as the group stage continues.