A second half brace from substitute Tolu Arokodare, who scored twice in eight second-half minutes, helped the Super Eagles defeat Tanzania 3-1 in Uyo on Friday to revive their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign and give their coach a late birthday present.
The Ajax striker turned a contest that was threatening to become another frustrating afternoon for Eric Chelle's side into a valuable victory, following their embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in September.
New England Revolution's Alhassan Yusuf had given Nigeria an early lead, arriving in the box to turn in Ademola Lookman's pass, but Alphonce Msanga equalized in the 32nd minute after captain Wilfred Ndidi gave away possession in midfield and left the defence exposed on a breakaway.
Ndidi made amends 20 minutes later, finding Arokodare with a well-timed pass and the Ajax man restored Nigeria's lead in the 52nd minute with a delightful backheel before completing his double eight minutes later, taking advantage of Moses Usor's delivery from the left to drive home from close range.
The victory moved Nigeria to within a point of Group L leaders Guinea-Bissau, who were held 1-1 by Madagascar, and restored some confidence ahead of Tuesday's return fixture in Zanzibar.
With Tanzania already guaranteed a place at the tournament as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda, Nigeria are effectively competing with Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar for the group's remaining qualification place.
Here are the main takeaways from Nigeria's victory.
Arokodare promises and delivers when Nigeria need him most
Tolu Arokodare said before Nigeria's game against Tanzania that he needed to score more goals for the Super Eagles. On Friday, he delivered, plundering a brace in eight second-half minutes to turn what was looking like a 1-1 draw into a 3-1 victory.
The Ajax striker had acknowledged that his impressive club form, which has produced 13 goals and four assists in 17 appearances this season, had yet to translate into similar productivity for Nigeria.
"As a striker, I need to score goals. That's my job for the team. Scoring goals wins games," he said. "I think it's very important for me to use whatever opportunity I get, starting or not starting, coming off the bench, to always try to be in positions and score goals."
He was true to his word. Introduced at halftime, Arokodare needed just seven minutes to restore Nigeria's lead with an improvised backheel from Wilfred Ndidi's pass. Eight minutes later, he doubled his tally, finishing after a Tanzanian defender failed to intercept Moses Usor's delivery from the left. He was this close to completing a hat trick but was denied in a one-on-one situation by the Tanzanian goalkeeper.
With Victor Osimhen unavailable following knee surgery, Arokodare's performance could hardly have come at a better time.
The 25-year-old had scored just twice in 12 international appearances before Friday's encounter - a modest return compared with his prolific club form. His double took that tally to four and strengthened his case for a starting place in Tuesday's return fixture in Zanzibar.
It also gave Chelle further evidence that Nigeria may be gradually finding a way around their Osimhen conundrum, as the forward's goals and presence have often been central to the Super Eagles' attack.
Defensive problems refuse to go away
Nigeria scored three goals and collected three points, but their inability to keep a clean sheet remains a concern.
Msanga's equalizer came from Ndidi's unprovoked mistake in midfield, with Tanzania taking advantage of the turnover to cancel out Yusuf's early opener. It was another avoidable goal conceded by a Nigerian side that has struggled to combine attacking ambition with defensive security during this qualifying campaign.
The Super Eagles conceded once against Madagascar in their opening qualifier before shipping three unanswered goals against Guinea-Bissau. Tanzania's goal brought that tally to five conceded in three matches.
That is a worrying return for a team hoping to qualify for a major tournament.
Nigeria's defensive problems have also come in different circumstances, but almost all have involved errors either in midfield of defence. Against Guinea-Bissau, it led to a comprehensive defeat. Against Madagascar and Tanzania, it did not matter in the end, but while Chelle will be encouraged by his team's response after halftime, the manner of the equalizer raises questions about their concentration and protection of the defense in transition.
The Super Eagles have now conceded in all three of their AFCON qualifiers, and another lapse in Zanzibar could prove considerably more expensive.
Usor is becoming Chelle's game-changer
Moses Usor is rapidly making a habit of changing games for Nigeria.
The LASK winger was the matchwinner against Madagascar in September, coming off the bench to score a superb individual goal that secured a 2-1 victory in his senior international debut.
Against Tanzania, he was at it again. Introduced as a substitute, Usor gave the visitors problems with his pace, movement and willingness to attack defenders. He switched flanks and repeatedly found space in wide areas, forcing Tanzania to defend deeper.
His most telling contribution came in the 60th minute when his delivery from the left found its way to Arokodare, who finished to put Nigeria two goals clear. And he could well have scored one of his own, too but for great goalkeeping.
Usor's emergence has been one of the more encouraging developments of Nigeria's qualifying campaign. His winner against Madagascar came after he collected the ball on a counterattack, beat defenders and finished left-footed.
He has now played a direct role in two important qualifying victories, and his ability to make an impact from the bench gives Chelle a valuable attacking weapon. The question for the Nigeria coach now is whether Usor should continue in that substitute role or be rewarded with a place in the starting lineup.
One thing no one can argue is that the winger has made a compelling argument for more playing time.