Segun Atanda/
Nigeria soared into the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 on Saturday with a pulsating 3-2 victory over Tunisia in Group C at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Morocco, and popular Tunisian football analyst, Islam Bouafif, could not hide his admiration for Super Eagles talisman, Victor Osimhen.
The match, part of the second set of matches in the preliminary round of the ongoing 2025 AFCON tournament hosted by Morocco, saw Nigeria take control early and build a commanding lead before a late Tunisian resurgence made for a nervy finish.
Nigeria’s goals came from Osimhen, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman, with Tunisian replies from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi’s penalty ensuring an exciting finish.
The win secured Nigeria a place in the knockout stages with six points atop Group C.
Osimhen, currently starring for Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, once again justified his growing reputation among fans as Air Osimhen, a nickname celebrating his aerial prowess and physical dominance. His headed opener just before half-time set Nigeria on their way and underlined his value to the team.
Reacting after the match on X, Bouafif offered a glowing and insightful appraisal of the Nigerian forward’s qualities.
Bouafif wrote: “As someone whose team just faced Osimhen, I have to say playing against him is genuinely scary and frustrating. Our centre backs aren’t usually this bad, and we rarely struggle this much when defending crosses. But this guy is an absolute monster.
“Right now, I genuinely think he has the best box presence in world football. His movement is extremely intelligent, he knows exactly when and where to attack the space, and physically he is on another level. His strength makes it almost impossible to duel with him, his jumping ability is insane, and he always seems to be at the end of every single cross.
“With all due respect to Galatasaray, he’s seriously wasting his prime years in Turkey. He deserves a better team in a top league.”
Bouafif’s analysis has resonated widely, with many pundits agreeing that Osimhen’s combination of athleticism, spatial awareness and aerial ability sets him apart from his peers at this stage of the tournament.
The match itself was a dramatic spectacle. After Nigeria raced into a 3-0 lead through Osimhen’s header, Ndidi’s headed finish and Lookman’s composed strike, Tunisia refused to surrender, with Talbi’s header and Abdi’s late penalty pushing the contest to the wire.
Despite sustained Tunisian pressure late on, Nigeria held on to claim the crucial victory.
With the result, Nigeria tops Group C and advances to the AFCON last 16, while Tunisia must regroup ahead of their final group match to keep qualification hopes alive.
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