Rafael Onyedika struck twice as Nigeria wrapped up the group stage in emphatic fashion with a 3–1 victory over Uganda on Tuesday, finishing with a perfect nine points from three matches.
The Super Eagles took control of the encounter midway through the first half when Paul Onuachu opened the scoring in the 28th minute, calmly converting to give Nigeria a deserved lead going into the break.
Nigeria raised the tempo in the second half, and it was Rafael Onyedika who stole the spotlight.
The midfielder doubled Nigeria’s advantage in the 62nd minute before adding his second goal just five minutes later, effectively putting the game beyond Uganda’s reach at 3–0.
Uganda’s situation worsened when their goalkeeper was sent off for handling the ball outside the penalty area while attempting to stop Victor Osimhen from scoring.
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Reduced to 10 men, the East Africans still managed to pull one back in the 75th minute through Mato R., who capitalised on a rare defensive lapse to make it 3–1.
Despite the late consolation goal, Nigeria remained dominant and comfortably saw out the match to maintain their flawless run.
The result confirms the Super Eagles’ status as group winners, having won all three matches and collected the maximum nine points, a strong statement of intent as they move into the next phase of the competition.