Nigeria’s 3–1 victory over Uganda in their final Group C match sealed a flawless group-stage campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with the Super Eagles recording three wins from three matches. It marked only the fourth time in the country’s AFCON history that Nigeria have completed the group phase with a perfect record, raising optimism about how far the team can go in the tournament.
The Super Eagles began their 2025 campaign with a 2–1 win over Tanzania before edging Tunisia 3–2 in a crucial encounter in Fes that secured early qualification for the knockout rounds. They then wrapped up the group stage in convincing fashion against Uganda on Tuesday, December 30.
While a perfect group-stage run is an encouraging sign, history shows that it has not always translated into tournament glory for Nigeria. Here is a look back at the previous occasions when the Super Eagles won all their group matches at AFCON and how those campaigns ended.
AFCON 1992: Bronze medal finish
Nigeria first achieved a perfect group-stage record at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal. With the tournament featuring 12 teams split into three-team groups, the Super Eagles won both of their group matches, defeating hosts Senegal 2–1 and then beating Kenya by the same scoreline.
They advanced to the quarter-finals, where a narrow 1–0 win over Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) set up a semi-final clash against Ghana. Nigeria fell 2–1 to their West African rivals, missing out on a place in the final. However, the team recovered to beat Cameroon 2–1 in the third-place playoff, finishing the tournament with a bronze medal.
AFCON 2006: Another third-place finish
Nigeria repeated the feat at the 2006 AFCON in Egypt, recording group-stage wins over Ghana (1–0), Zimbabwe (2–0) and Senegal (2–1). The strong start carried them into the knockout rounds, where they defeated Tunisia on penalties in the quarter-finals after a 1–1 draw.
Their run ended in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, as Didier Drogba’s goal proved decisive. As in 1992, Nigeria bounced back in the third-place match, edging Senegal 1–0 to claim bronze once again.
AFCON 2021 (played in 2022): Early exit
Nigeria’s most recent perfect group-stage campaign came at the 2021 AFCON, which was played in January 2022. The Super Eagles opened with a 1–0 win over Egypt, followed by victories against Sudan (3–1) and Guinea-Bissau (2–0).
Despite entering the knockout rounds with confidence, Nigeria were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a surprise 1–0 loss to Tunisia in Garoua. The early exit highlighted the unpredictability of the tournament, even for teams that dominate the group stage.
Notably, all three previous perfect group-stage runs involved Augustin Eguavoen — once as a player in 1992 and twice as head coach in 2006 and 2022.
With Nigeria now completing another flawless group campaign at AFCON 2025, attention turns to whether the Super Eagles can finally turn a strong start into a sustained title challenge, something that has eluded them in past tournaments despite early dominance.