The third matchday of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) delivered mixed results for teams from the Great Lakes region, as Nigeria defeated Tanzania, Tunisia overcame Uganda, and DR Congo edged past Benin in a match overshadowed by a malfunction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
The games were played on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, across several venues in Morocco, including Stade Olympique de Rabat, Complexe Sportif de Fès, Stade Ibn Batouta, and Al Barid Stadium, featuring fixtures from Group C and Group D.
DR Congo Overcome Benin as VAR Fails
The day began with a clash between DR Congo and Benin, where the Leopards secured a narrow 1–0 victory.
DR Congo took the lead in the 16th minute through Théo Bongonda, who finished calmly after sustained pressure. Early in the second half, Cédric Bakambu thought he had doubled the lead, but his goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Controversy arose in the 54th minute when Benin appeared to be denied a clear penalty after Chancel Mbemba handled the ball inside the penalty area.
However, after consulting VAR, the referee determined that the system was not functioning properly and allowed play to continue without awarding the penalty. The match ended 1–0 in favor of DR Congo.
Senegal Cruise Past Botswana
In another fixture, Senegal recorded a comfortable 3–0 win over Botswana. Nicolas Jackson scored twice, while Chérif Ndiaye added a third to seal a dominant performance by the reigning African champions.
Nigeria Edge Tanzania in Tight Encounter
Nigeria faced a resilient Tanzania side in one of the most competitive matches of the day.
Semi Ajayi opened the scoring for the Super Eagles in the 36th minute, but Tanzania responded strongly and equalized shortly after halftime.
Despite Tanzania’s disciplined defense, Ademola Lookman restored Nigeria’s lead in the 52nd minute with a powerful long-range strike. Nigeria held on to claim a 2–1 victory and all three points.
Tunisia Beat Uganda as Omedi Scores Late Consolation
The final match of the day saw Tunisia defeat Uganda 3–1, though the Cranes found some consolation late on.
Tunisia opened the scoring early through Ellyes Skhiri in the 9th minute, following a corner delivered by Hannibal Mejbri. Just before halftime, Elias Achouri doubled Tunisia’s lead after a well-timed cross from Ali Abdi.
In the second half, Uganda head coach Paul Put introduced Denis Omedi of APR FC and Ronald Ssekiganda in an attempt to turn the game around. However, Achouri struck again in the 64th minute to make it 3–0.
Despite the deficit, Denis Omedi scored a late goal to reduce the margin, ensuring Uganda avoided a heavy defeat. The match ended 3–1 in favor of Tunisia.
Matchday three of AFCON 2025 showcased strong performances from tournament favorites, while also highlighting challenges such as officiating technology reliability. As the group stage progresses, teams from the region will be looking to bounce back and improve their standings in the competition.
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