Nigeria vs Tanzania: Preview, team news, tips & H2H as Super Eagles eye 3 points in Uyo

Nigeria vs Tanzania will be played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday, November 13, 2026, with kickoff at 5 pm WAT, in the third round of Group L qualifiers.

Ademola Lookman sat on the bench for all 90 minutes when Atlético Madrid faced Barcelona, yet the Super Eagles forward arrives in Uyo as the player Nigeria needs most against Tanzania.

Victor Osimhen is missing after knee surgery, so the attacking burden in a must-win AFCON 2027 qualifier falls on Lookman, the 2024 African Footballer of the Year.

Defeat in Bissau left Eric Chelle’s side three points behind Guinea-Bissau, and with co-host Tanzania already guaranteed a place at the finals, only one ticket remains for the other three nations.

Match Radar: Nigeria vs Tanzania

AFCON 2027 Qualifiers · Group L · Matchday 3

NGA Nigeria Coach: Eric Chelle VS TAN Tanzania Coach: Miguel Gamondi

Kickoff Friday, November 13, 2026 · 5pm WAT Venue Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo Where to Watch SuperSport Return Leg Tanzania vs Nigeria · Tuesday, November 17, 2026 · Zanzibar

Group L Standings Bar length = points after two matchdays

1. Guinea-Bissau P2 · GD +5   6 pts 2. Nigeria P2 · GD -2   3 pts 3. Madagascar P2 · GD -1   1 pt 4. Tanzania HOST P2 · GD -2   1 pt

Head-to-Head · 11 Meetings

7 Nigeria wins 4 draws 0 Tanzania wins Last meeting: Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania, AFCON 2025 group stage (December 23, 2025)

Form Guide Last five matches, oldest to newest (latest on the right)

Nigeria DLWLD Tanzania LLWLD

Tanzania have already qualified as co-hosts, so Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar are chasing the group’s one remaining place.

Form & Context: Super Eagles Need a Response After Bissau

Nigeria opened the campaign on September 25 by coming from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo, with debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor on target.

Four days later, Guinea-Bissau beat them 3-0 in Bissau and took control of the group with six points from two matches.

October’s friendly against Russia ended 3-3, and Nigeria have now conceded in each of their last five matches, letting in 11 goals in that run.

Tanzania have been worse, losing 2-0 at home to Guinea-Bissau in Zanzibar before a 1-1 draw with Madagascar left them bottom on goals scored.

Their only win in five came in a 6-0 friendly against Macao in March, a result that says little about their level against African opposition.

Gamondi’s side still carry credit from AFCON 2025, where they reached the round of 16 for the first time before a 1-0 defeat by hosts Morocco on January 4, 2026.

With their finals place secure, the Tanzanian federation has framed this double-header as valuable exposure against a top African side ahead of co-hosting the tournament.

Nigeria vs Tanzania Head-to-Head

Nigeria have never lost to Tanzania in 11 meetings, winning seven and drawing four since the sides first met in a 1972 friendly.

Eight of those games were played between 1972 and 1980, so most of the record says more about history than about these squads.

The two qualifying meetings in 2015 and 2016 were tight, with a goalless draw in Tanzania followed by a 1-0 Nigeria win a year later.

The latest meeting came at AFCON 2025 in Fez on December 23, 2025, where Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi headed Nigeria in front before Charles M’Mombwa equalised early in the second half.

Lookman restored the lead 108 seconds later, and Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi supplied both Nigerian goals.

Nigeria had 21 shots to Tanzania’s 11 that night, which shows how much territory the Taifa Stars are willing to concede.

Team News & Predicted XI: Nigeria vs Tanzania

Super Eagles

Chelle has his full 24-man squad in Uyo after seven players, including captain Wilfred Ndidi and Taiwo Awoniyi, arrived on Wednesday following flight delays.

Osimhen is out after knee surgery, while Samuel Chukwueze is recovering from hip surgery and was not selected.

Kelechi Iheanacho was left out despite 17 league goals for Bursaspor this season, and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye also missed out.

Usor went off injured for LASK on November 3 but has reported to camp, while Tolu Arokodare arrives after two goals and an assist in Ajax’s 6-1 win over Midtjylland.

Taifa Stars

Tanzania lost Young Africans pair Dickson Job and Clement Mzize to fresh injuries this week, and Azam winger Iddi Seleman Nado has been called up as cover.

Captain Mbwana Samatta is again absent from Gamondi’s squad, leaving Simon Msuva as the most likely focal point up front.

Nigeria	Tanzania
Victor Osimhen: out (knee surgery) Samuel Chukwueze: out (hip surgery) Moses Usor: in camp after going off injured on November 3	Dickson Job: out (injury) Clement Mzize: out (injury)

Star Player Comparison: Ademola Lookman vs Simon Msuva

Ademola Lookman Forward · Nigeria	Stat	Simon Msuva Striker · Tanzania
2	Goals	1
1	Assists	0
15	Appearances	8
9	Starts	6

The Managers: Eric Chelle vs Miguel Gamondi

Chelle, the Malian coach, won his only meeting with Gamondi, the AFCON 2025 group game in Fez.

He also oversees the Olympic Eagles, who face DR Congo in the same window, and he left the under-23 camp early to focus on this double-header.

The World Cup play-off defeat by DR Congo and the Bissau loss have put Chelle under heavy scrutiny, which makes six points from this window close to essential for him.

Gamondi, the Argentine, took charge on an interim basis shortly before AFCON 2025 in place of Hemed Suleiman, and he earned a two-year contract in February 2026 after the historic round-of-16 run.

Tactical Preview: Nigeria vs Tanzania

Nigeria are expected to use a 4-3-3, with Ndidi screening the back four and Iwobi given licence to find Lookman between the lines.

Tanzania are likely to sit deep in a 4-2-3-1, with Himid Mao and Novatus Miroshi protecting the centre and Feisal Salum looking to break quickly.

Miroshi, the Göztepe midfielder, created Tanzania’s goal in the last meeting with a chipped pass, and that kind of fast ball behind Nigeria’s full-backs is the visitors’ clearest route to goal.

Job’s absence removes a defender who featured at AFCON 2025, so Akor Adams and Lookman should find more space against Haji Mnoga and Bakari Mwamnyeto.

Nigeria’s weakness is at the other end, because 11 goals conceded in five matches suggests Tanzania will get chances of their own.

With seven players joining only two days before kickoff, a cautious first half from the hosts would not be a surprise.

The Naija Slip: Nigeria vs Tanzania Tips

Nigeria vs Tanzania Score Prediction

Nigeria 2 – 1 Tanzania

Lookman and Adams should find gaps against a reshuffled Tanzania back line, but Miroshi’s passing on the break gives the visitors a goal. Likely scorers: Lookman, Adams; Msuva.