Three Keepers, One Historic Night: Nigeria Edge Uganda 3-1 in an AFCON Moment You Won’t See Twice

Match context

The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco saw a curious incident in the Nigeria vs Uganda clash on Tuesday evening, in the third round of Group C.

Nigeria won 3-1 over Uganda, with the Super Eagles advancing to the knockout stage at the top of the group in perfect form, while Uganda were eliminated with a single point.

The goalkeeper twist

During the game Uganda used three goalkeepers, a rare occurrence in official football history.

Starting goalkeeper Dennis Onyango played and conceded in the 28th minute to Paul Onuachu.

Onyango later picked up an injury, the first substitute, backup keeper Gamal Salim, came on but was sent off after just 10 minutes on the field.

The third stopper Navian Aleonzi entered in the 59th minute and conceded twice in the 67th and 75th minutes, effectively ending Uganda's hopes of progression.

Aftermath

The result left Nigeria atop Group C with three wins from three, and Uganda finished with one point from the group stage. The match also provided a rare reminder that in football, bench depth can become a headline—literally.

Note to managers: if you can't defend, at least confuse the defense with a rotating cast of keepers.

Seriously though, Uganda's goalkeeper saga proves that in football, backup plans sometimes backup themselves. Now that's multitasking in reverse!