Tolu Arokodare has delivered on his promise. The Ajax striker came off the bench to score twice in eight minutes as Nigeria lead Tanzania 3-1 in Uyo, turning a tense Africa Cup of Nations qualifier firmly in the Super Eagles’ favour. As it stands in the 64th minute, the Arokodare brace has Nigeria on course for a vital three points in Group L — and the striker who vowed on Friday morning that he needed to score has now done exactly that, twice over.
Arokodare struck first in the 52nd minute, finishing off a move set up by captain Wilfred Ndidi to restore Nigeria’s lead at 2-1. Eight minutes later he was at it again, converting a chance created by Moses Usor to make it 3-1 and give Eric Chelle’s side breathing room at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. It was a ruthless eight-minute spell from a player who had started the evening on the bench, with Akor Adams leading the line from kick-off.
The Arokodare brace caps a remarkable turnaround in a match that had threatened to frustrate Nigeria. Alhassan Yusuf gave the Super Eagles a dream start with a second-minute goal, finished off Ademola Lookman’s assist, only for Tanzania’s Alphonce Msanga to equalise in the 32nd minute after a defensive lapse. The sides went into half-time level at 1-1, and the tension in Uyo was real — Nigeria had already lost 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau in September and could not afford another slip in this group.
Arokodare brace ends his Super Eagles drought
For Arokodare, the two goals carry weight beyond the scoreline. Before tonight he had managed just two goals in 12 appearances for Nigeria, a modest return that stood in sharp contrast to his club form. At Ajax this season he has been unstoppable, with 13 goals and four assists in 17 appearances across all competitions, including a brace in the 6-1 win at Midtjylland last week.
He had spoken honestly about the gap on Thursday, admitting the goals had not been coming for his country the way they have at club level, but insisting he only had to “keep working, stay patient and fresh, keep being positive” to reproduce his Ajax form in a green shirt. Eight minutes off the bench in Uyo was all it took. His tally for Nigeria now stands at four goals in 13 appearances, and the debate about whether he can lead the line in Victor Osimhen’s absence has a very different look this evening.
What the lead means for Group L
The three points on offer tonight matter enormously. Nigeria began the evening on three points from two games — a 2-1 win over Madagascar followed by that heavy defeat to Guinea-Bissau — while the group leaders sit on seven after dropping two points in Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Madagascar. A win in Uyo would lift Nigeria to six points, just one behind Guinea-Bissau with the return fixture still to come.
That return leg is on Tuesday, November 17, at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, and Chelle’s side will travel there knowing the job is only half done. Tanzania, already qualified for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda, are still chasing their first win in the group, so they will not simply roll over in front of their own fans.
For now, though, the story in Uyo belongs to one man. Arokodare said he needed to score. He scored twice. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions — and the full-time report from Uyo will follow here once the final whistle goes.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0, Mtjonenfa) — collage by SportsBuddy
