Published Friday, 13 November, 7:41 p.m. ET (1:41 a.m. Saturday Lagos) · Source: Rio Times match desk, checked against two independent match reports
Nigeria needed a fix at half-time, and a substitute delivered it. Tolu Arokodare, a Nigeria striker, came on at the interval and scored twice as the Super Eagles beat Tanzania 3-1 in Uyo on Friday, 13 November 2026, in an AFCON 2027 qualifier.
The win lifts Nigeria to six points in Group L, one behind leader Guinea-Bissau. It keeps alive a qualifying campaign that had stalled with a heavy defeat in September.
Key Facts
- Result. Nigeria 3, Tanzania 1 in Uyo on Friday, 13 November 2026, in AFCON 2027 qualifying Group L, a four-team group.
- Scorers. Alhassan Yusuf (2nd minute) and Tolu Arokodare (52nd and about 60th) for Nigeria; Alphonce Msanga for Tanzania.
- Table. Guinea-Bissau 7 points, Nigeria 6, Madagascar 2, Tanzania 1, after three rounds.
- Prediction markets. Polymarket (Friday, 7:35 p.m. ET) prices Nigeria at 58% to win Group L, Guinea-Bissau 39.7%.
- Next. Return match in Zanzibar on Tuesday, 17 November; kick-off time unconfirmed.
This story is part of our coverage of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
In plain English
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the continent’s national-team championship, and 2027 is co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Nigeria, nicknamed the Super Eagles, is fighting through a qualifying group to join them.
How Nigeria Turned a 1-1 Draw Into a Win
Alhassan Yusuf, a Nigeria midfielder, scored in the second minute at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, a city in southern Nigeria, finishing a move set up by forward Ademola Lookman. The hosts led for half an hour before Alphonce Msanga equalised for Tanzania around the 32nd minute, after a well-worked attacking move.
Nigeria coach Eric Chelle then made two changes at the interval, bringing on Arokodare for team-mate Tochukwu Nnadi and Moses Usor for Yusuf. The change worked within seven minutes.
Arokodare put Nigeria back in front in the 52nd minute, converting a pass from captain Wilfred Ndidi. Arokodare struck again eight minutes later, finishing a move created by Usor, another substitute.
Tanzania never pulled a goal back.
Who Was Missing for Nigeria
Nigeria started without striker Victor Osimhen, who is injured, and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who was unavailable. Defenders Benjamin Fredrick and Calvin Bassey paired in the centre of the back line.
Why Group L Stays Tight
Nigeria opened its qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Madagascar, then lost 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau in September. Friday’s result puts it on six points from three matches, with Guinea-Bissau on seven, Madagascar on two and Tanzania on one.
Tanzania is already through to the 2027 finals as a co-host with Kenya and Uganda, yet still plays the qualifiers. That means the Tanzanian side has no qualification at stake, while Nigeria, a three-time African champion, still needs results to make the tournament.
The same two teams meet again on Tuesday, 17 November, in Zanzibar. A second win would turn a recovery into a real challenge to Guinea-Bissau at the top.
What It Means for US Readers
For American fans, this is a three-time African champion fighting to stay on the road to one of the continent’s biggest tournaments. A stumble in qualifying would be felt well beyond Lagos.
The clearest signal comes on 17 November. A second win in Zanzibar would confirm the recovery, while a draw or defeat would leave Guinea-Bissau in control of the group.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a platform where users trade real-money bets on outcomes, the Group L winner market priced Nigeria at 58% and Guinea-Bissau at 39.7% on Friday at 7:35 p.m. ET. Madagascar stood at 4% and Tanzania at 0.8%, with about US$16,600 traded so far.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
The kick-off time in Uyo, post-match quotes and statements from the football federations were not confirmed. The kick-off time of the return match in Zanzibar was also not found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score between Nigeria and Tanzania?
Nigeria won 3-1 in Uyo on Friday, 13 November 2026. Tolu Arokodare scored twice after coming on at half-time.
Where does Nigeria stand in Group L?
Nigeria has six points from three matches, one behind leader Guinea-Bissau on seven. Madagascar has two points and Tanzania one.
Sources: Rio Times match desk; independent match reports from Uyo (Tribune Online, Afrik-Foot); qualifying fixtures of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent’s governing body.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error