BY PAUL LUCKY OKOKU
Goals, rotation, execution — and a reminder that progress does not always equal perfection
Victory was clear. Conviction still needs sharpening.
Winning is routine. Convincing Nigerians and the continent is the real examination, and so far, doubts remain.
A Moment of Silence Before the Noise.
Before football took center stage in Fez, it was impossible not to remember the tragedy that struck the city just weeks before the tournament. On December 9, 2025, two residential buildings collapsed in the Al-Mustaqbal neighborhood, claiming 22 lives and injuring many others.
For families still grieving, football understandably feels distant. Tournaments continue, matches go on, but humanity must never be edited out of the story. AFCON arrived in a city still mourning — and that context matters.
Sport must never forget humanity.
Nigeria came into this match already qualified. Uganda arrived disciplined, organized, and determined not to be overrun by reputation alone.
Final Score
Nigeria 3–1 Uganda
• Nigeria Possession: 67%
• Uganda Possession: 33%
Goals
• Nigeria:
• Paul Onuachu (28’)
• Raphael Onyedika (62’, 67’)
• Uganda:
• Rogers Mato (75’)
Nigeria won comfortably — yet comfort can sometimes mask concentration lapses that become costly in knockout football.
Victor Osimhen captained the side — leadership without ego.
First Half: Uganda Had the Ball, Nigeria Had the Plan
Uganda saw more of the ball early and disrupted Nigeria’s rhythm. This wasn’t the walkover many expected. East African sides — Uganda included — are tactically disciplined, and Nigeria felt that in the opening exchanges.
Yet football often rewards patience.
One of Nigeria’s Biggest Moments
In the 27th minute, Victor Osimhen did what defines elite team players — he chose service over spotlight. His unselfish movement with the ball created space, and instead of forcing a shot, he released a pass to Paul Onuachu. The effort was struck straight at the goalkeeper — a chance that could easily have resulted in a goal had the finish been placed calmly into either corner.
What mattered more was the mindset.
Osimhen resisted the temptation of individual glory, opting instead to stretch the defense and create opportunity for others. Moments later, that same team-first approach paid off. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s intelligent delivery found Onuachu, who made no mistake this time, converting clinically to give Nigeria the breakthrough.
That goal changed everything.
Nigeria’s possession stabilized. Movement off the ball improved. Confidence returned.
The Red Card: Law, Risk, and the Turning Point
There is little room for debate about the red card decision.
Uganda’s goalkeeper denied Victor Osimhen a clear goal-scoring opportunity that would almost certainly have put Nigeria 2–0 ahead. In attempting to stop the ball outside the penalty area with his hand, he knowingly violated the laws of the game. It was a deliberate act — not accidental — taken in full awareness of the consequences.
From Uganda’s perspective, it was a calculated risk. Concede the goal and likely lose the match outright, or commit the infringement, accept the red card, and attempt to compete with ten men. It was a gamble rooted in survival, not legality.
The decisive moment arrived in the 56th minute, when goalkeeper J. Salim was correctly dismissed for denying Osimhen a clear goal-scoring opportunity outside the box. The decision may have felt severe, but it was entirely consistent with both the letter and the spirit of the law.
What followed was telling.
Nigeria responded exactly as top teams are expected to — with composure, clarity, and punishment.
Between the 62nd and 67th minutes, Raphael Onyedika announced himself — twice. One stretched finish, one composed strike. Clean. Efficient. Decisive.
For a moment, Nigeria led 3–0 with a man advantage. That should have been the end.
It wasn’t.
The Concern: Losing Focus When It Matters — Conceding Four Goals in Three Matches
Uganda’s goal in the 75th minute, scored with ten men, was avoidable. A lapse in concentration. A reminder of an old Nigerian habit — easing off when the job looks done.
At this level, especially in knockout football, that habit is dangerous.
Captaincy, Substitutions & Game Management
Osimhen wore the armband with maturity. When substituted late, he handed it over seamlessly — leadership without theatrics.
This was smart tournament management — protect key players for the round of 16, the knockout and go home stage, avoid unnecessary cards, build squad depth.
Uganda: Honest Effort, Brave but Limited Threat
Uganda worked hard but lacked cutting edge. Set pieces were wasted. Final balls were rushed. Against Nigeria’s athleticism and depth, that margin proved costly.
They were not a severe test — and that context matters when evaluating Nigeria’s performance.
Game Management: Where Nigeria Must Grow or Go Home
As I have consistently maintained, my biggest concern with this team is not talent. It is focus, concentration, and what I call game management — especially in moments when the game should already be under control.
Let me explain clearly what I mean by game management, because the Uganda goal exposed it brutally.
What Game Management Really Is
Game management is football intelligence in motion.
It is the ability to:
• Recognize danger before it becomes a chance
• Make the right decision, not the spectacular one
• Kill momentum, not admire it
• Take responsibility instead of becoming a passenger
Game management shows up in small actions:
• Passing when dribbling is unnecessary
• Tackling early instead of jogging back
• Making a tactical foul when needed
• Compressing space, not backing off
• Communicating and organizing without the ball
It is not about flair.
It is about control.
The Uganda Goal: A Case Study in Poor Game Management
Uganda’s goal did not come from brilliance. It came from negligence.
A Nigerian player lost the ball in a situation where a simple pass was the correct decision. Instead, he chose to dribble. He failed. Fair enough — mistakes happen.
What followed is the real problem.
There was no immediate recovery run.
No urgency to win the ball back.
No tactical foul.
No attempt to delay play.
Uganda completed six successive passes — clean, uninterrupted, uncontested.
Six.
The sixth touch ended in the back of the net.
Nigeria did not touch the ball once in that sequence.
That is not just a defensive error.
That is a total collapse across all three phases:
• Attack: Poor decision-making
• Midfield: No pressure, no recovery, no screening
• Defense: Passive positioning, no anticipation
This is what happens when players assume someone else will do the work.
That is what it means to become a passenger.
Passengers Don’t Win Knockout Matches
In the group stage, you might survive moments like that.
In the knockout stage, you go home.
There are no second chances.
There is no “we played well in spells.”
There is no “we will correct it next game.”
Lose — you’re out.
Win — you move closer to the trophy.
That is why game management is not optional. It is a requirement.
You do not allow six passes to beat you.
You do not jog when the ball is lost.
You do not wait for someone else to tackle when you are closest.
You do not admire play when you should interrupt it.
You do something.
Why This Matters More Now Than Ever
Nigeria needs this AFCON title — not as celebration, but as atonement.
Let us be honest.
Winning AFCON will not erase the pain of missing the World Cup.
It will not make that absence disappear.
Think of it like a permanent injury — you manage it, but it remains.
Nigeria last appeared at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 (Russia) and exited at the group stage.
We missed Qatar 2022.
We will miss 2026.
That is not Nigeria’s standard.
So yes, this trophy matters. Immensely.
But to win it, Nigeria must stop beating itself first.
Talent wins matches.
Focus wins tournaments.
If Nigeria sharpens its game management — concentration, responsibility, and collective defending — the quality is there to go all the way. If not, the knockout stage will expose every lapse, and the margin for error will be zero.
This team must decide who it wants to be:
• Passengers, or
• Managers of the game
The difference is simple: the trophy — or the flight home.
Nigeria topped the group. The rotation worked. Goals came from multiple sources.
And yet, this was a good win — not a defining statement.
The positives are clear:
• Squad depth is improving
• Chemistry is building
• Attacking responsibility is being shared
• Eight goals scored in three matches, none from penalties
• Multiple players, beyond Victor Osimhen, are contributing goals — a clear sign of depth
• Sustained superiority in ball possession over opponents
But the concerns are real and remain:
• Lapses in concentration at key moments
• Wasteful crossing and poor final decisions
• Moments of complacency after taking control
• Failure to convert clear chances consistently
• Four goals conceded in three matches — an excessive return at this level
• Inconsistent game management
Progress is evident. The standard has not yet been met.
Cautious optimism is the correct posture.
Nigeria must sharpen focus, because the knockout stage does not forgive lapses.
Nigeria won 3–1 — convincingly on paper, cautiously in reality. The journey continues.
— Paul Lucky Okoku is a former International | Football Analyst Published Online and former Nigerian Super Eagles International.
- CAF: AFCON 1984 Silver MVice Captain, Flying Eagles of Nigeria (Class of 1983) — FIFA U-21 World Cup, Mexicoedal Winner
- WAFU Nations Cup 1983 Gold Medal Winner
- CAF: Tesema Cup (U-21), 1983 — Gold Medal
- Vice Captain, Flying Eagles of Nigeria (Class of 1983) — FIFA U-21 World Cup, Mexico