The Super Eagles of Nigeria launched their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, campaign in style with a hard-fought victory over the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Morocco.
Defender Semi Ajayi broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, rising confidently to power home a precise cross delivered by Alex Iwobi.
Nigeria pushed for more after the break, and Victor Osimhen appeared to double the lead, only for VAR to rule the effort offside.
Tanzania struck back through Charles M’Mombwa in the 50th minute, briefly silencing the Nigerian supporters.
The Super Eagles responded almost immediately, as Ademola Lookman unleashed a stunning strike two minutes later to restore Nigeria’s advantage and secure the win.
Elsewhere in Tuesday’s AFCON fixtures, the Democratic Republic of Congo edged Benin Republic 1–0, Senegal overwhelmed Botswana 3–0, while Tunisia recorded a convincing 3–1 victory over Uganda.
Samia Suluhu Hassan has made history as the first female president of Tanzania.
Ms. Samia has been sworn in by the Chief Justice, Ibrahim Juma at State House in Dar es Salaam.
She becomes the sixth president of Tanzania following Wednesday’s death of President John Pombe Magufuli from heart-related complications.
The 61-year-old served as President Magufuli’s deputy from 2015 until his death.
The Tanzania constitution stipulates that she should serve his remaining five-year term.
Meanwhile, Tanzania’s newly sworn-in President Samia Suluhu Hassan has spoken of the “heavy load” on her shoulders as she takes over as the country’s first female president.
Ms Samia used her inaugural speech to urge for “burying of differences” and repeatedly gave assurance of stability.
She said it was no longer time “to point fingers” and urged for unity during the mourning period.
Addressing a packed hall at State House in Dar es Salaam, the new president said she had been sufficiently prepared for the role by her predecessor John Magufuli who died on Wednesday of a “heart condition”.
Ms Samia has been vice-president under Mr Magufuli since 2015.
She described her predecessor as a patriot who was committed to transforming Tanzania.
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has died aged 61, the country’s vice-president has announced.
He died on Wednesday from heart complications at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Samia Suluhu Hassan said in an address on state television.
Magufuli had not been seen in public for more than two weeks, and rumours have been circulating about his health.
Opposition politicians said last week that he had contracted Covid-19, but this has not been confirmed.
Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent coronavirus sceptics, and called for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to counter the virus.
“It is with deep regret that I inform you that today… we lost our brave leader, the president of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli,” Vice-President Hassan said in the announcement.
She said there would be 14 days of national mourning and flags would fly at half mast.
According to Tanzania’s constitution, Ms Hassan will be sworn in as the new president and should serve the remainder of Magufuli’s five-year team which he began last year.
Magufuli was last seen in public on 27 February, but Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa insisted last week that the president was “healthy and working hard”.
He blamed the rumours of the president’s ill-health on “hateful” Tanzanians living abroad.
But opposition leader Tundu Lissu told the BBC that his sources had told him Magufuli was being treated in hospital for coronavirus in Kenya.
John Magufuli at a Glance
Born in Chato, north-west Tanzania, in 1959
Studied chemistry and maths at the University of Dar es Salaam
Worked as a chemistry and maths teacher
First elected as an MP in 1995
Became a cabinet minister in 2000
First elected president in 2015
Magufuli declared Tanzania “Covid-19 free” last June. He mocked the efficacy of masks, expressed doubts about testing, and teased neighbouring countries which imposed health measures to curb the virus.
Tanzania has not published details of its coronavirus cases since May, and the government has refused to purchase vaccines.
The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting Northern, Central and Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations internationally due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress.
The Maasai speak the Maa language a member of the Nilotic Language that is related to the Dinka, Kalenjinand Nuerlanguages. Except for some elders living in rural areas, most Maasai people speak the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili and English.
The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, but the people have continued their age-old customs.
Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visits to their villages to experience their culture, traditions, and lifestyle, in return for a fee.
The Massai tribe has two blended cultures from Tanzania and Kenya.
For people of this tribe spitting is a sign of greeting.
When a new baby is born, it is customary that the men spit on the baby, and the baby is cursed.
It is believed that if a baby is blessed or praised, that baby will be cursed. The Massai warriors can only spit in their hands before they can shake an elder.
Tanzania’s Health ministry has announced the country’s first death from Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by Corona virus.
The patient was a 49-year-old Tanzanian man who had other
underlying health conditions.
The East Africa country has confirmed 18 cases to date,
including one recovered patient.
Similarly Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has called for
calm after the country confirmed its first cases of coronavirus.
Health Minister Lems Kwape said three travelers, two of them
from Thailand and the third one from the UK, tested positive for the virus.
President Masisi said his government had been preparing for the
eventuality and had an action plan to keep people safe.
Botswana was among the few African countries yet to report
coronavirus cases. Others include Lesotho, Comoros, Sierra Leone, South Sudan,
Burundi and São Tomé and Príncipe.
President Masisi urged citizens to follow safety measures that
would be announced by the health authorities.
The government tweeted that the president would address the nation on Tuesday morning.
Increasing numbers of African
countries are confirming Coronavirus cases, prompting many to announce measures
to control the spread of the virus.
Ghana is the latest nation to ban entry to
foreign visitors from countries badly impacted by the disease.
Earlier, South Africa declared
a state of disaster, closing its borders to foreign nationals from countries
badly impacted by the disease. The ban includes China, Iran, Italy, Spain, the
UK and the US.
Kenya has also imposed sweeping travel
restrictions, blocking entry to all travelers coming from countries with
reported cases. On Sunday, the government confirmed two more cases of Coronavirus,
taking the total number to three.
Djibouti, which has no confirmed case, has
suspended all international flights. Tanzania,
which also has no confirmed case, has cancelled flights to India.
Morocco has also suspended all international
flights from its airports. The North African state has 28 confirmed cases,
including one death.
The prime minister of Libya’s
internationally recognized government, Fayez Sarraj, also announced the closure
of Libya’s airspace and land borders as a preventative measure starting from
Monday.
In neighbouring Algeria, which has 48
Coronavirus cases, officials announced they would be suspending all flights to
France as of Tuesday.
In Tunisia, Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh
has ordered the closure of all borders and a ban on large gatherings, including
congregation prayers in mosques. The country has confirmed 20 cases of the
virus.
Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi has suspended
all gatherings of 300 people or more. He has also suspended all foreign travel
by state officials – including his own visits to Equatorial Guinea and
Palestinian territories that were scheduled for later this month.
The virus is now confirmed to be present in at least 26 nations across the continent.
