Azeez Nets Brace as Super Eagles Beat Zimbabwe to Reach Unity Cup Final
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured a place in the final of the 2026 Unity Cup after a convincing 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday night in London.
The three-time African champions produced an impressive display at The Valley Stadium, home of Charlton Athletic, with debutant Femi Azeez emerging as the star of the match.
The Millwall winger enjoyed a dream start to his international career by scoring both goals for Nigeria in his first appearance for the national team, handing head coach Eric Chelle a winning start in the four-nation competition.
Nigeria wasted little time taking control of the contest as Azeez opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a brilliant strike from outside the penalty area after a bright start by the Super Eagles.
The early breakthrough gave Nigeria confidence as captain Terem Moffi led the attack effectively, while midfielders Tochukwu Nnadi and Samson Tijani delivered solid performances in the middle of the park.
Zimbabwe attempted to fight back, but the Nigerian defence, led by Igoh Ogbu and Chibuike Nwaiwu, remained organised and composed throughout the opening half.
Despite creating more chances before the break, the Super Eagles went into halftime with only a narrow advantage.
Nigeria continued to dominate after the restart and eventually doubled their lead in the 63rd minute. Moffi made a strong run into the box before laying the ball across for Azeez, who calmly finished to complete his brace.
The outstanding display capped a memorable night for the 24-year-old, who recently impressed for Millwall in the English Championship after recording 17 goal contributions and earning a place in the league’s Team of the Season.
Chelle later refreshed his side with the introduction of Tosin Oyedokun and Owen Oseni for Philip Otele and Samson Tijani as Nigeria comfortably managed the remainder of the game.
Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo also delivered a confident performance whenever called upon, helping the Super Eagles keep a clean sheet against a Zimbabwe side that had previously held Nigeria to two draws during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The victory sends Nigeria into the Unity Cup final, where they will face either Jamaica or India in the title decider.
For Chelle, the performance will provide encouragement as he continues to assess new players and strengthen the squad ahead of future competitive matches.
However, the night belonged to Azeez, whose remarkable debut has quickly made him one of the major talking points from Nigeria’s latest outing.
