Unity Cup: Nigeria edge Jamaica to emerge champions

Nigeria Super Eagles emerged champions in the Unity Cup final with a hard-fought penalty shoot-out win over Jamaica to win the 2025 Unity Cup at the packed GTech Community Stadium in London on Saturday, www.aclsports.com reports.

In a match that celebrated not just football, but the vibrant cultures of Africa and the Caribbean, it was the Super Eagles who soared highest. In a game that finished 2-2 in regulation time, the Super Eagles triumphed 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out to win the 2025 edition of the Unity Cup, 21 years after claiming the last edition.

From the outset, Nigeria looked the more composed side. Their intent was rewarded in the 9th minute when Moses Simon latched onto a cut-back from the impressive Cyriel Dessers to put Nigeria in front, but the lead lasted just three minutes after Kaheim Dixon finished off a lovely cross from Renaldo Cephas to draw the Jamaicans level.

The game was quite physical, and the cards were flying from referee Stuart Attwell, with three Jamaicans getting their names taken down at the break.

Just eight minutes after the break, Samuel Chukwueze looked to be crowded out on the edge of the area, but he worked it onto his left foot and drilled a brilliant finish into the bottom corner to put the Super Eagles ahead once again.

However, the Jamaicans, spurred on by their passionate supporters, responded with energy and physicality, pressing high and disrupting Nigeria’s rhythm. They eventually got their equalizer just three minutes after the hour mark. Sodiq Ismail was beaten for pace again by Cephas, and his cross was turned in by Jonathan Russell this time around.

Tolu Arokodare, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Uche Chrisantus were some of the changes Eric Chelle made after Jamaica’s equalizer. However, the two sides remained unseparated until the end of the game, meaning penalties would be needed to determine the winner of the 2025 Unity Cup.

In the shoot-out, Jamaica missed just one (Dwayne Atkinson hitting the crossbar), as Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Tolu Arokodare, Bruno Onyemachi (who came on for the impressive Felix Agu before the end of the game), and Uche Chrisantus scored their spot-kicks to see Nigeria win the Unity Cup again.

With this victory, Nigeria claimed their third Unity Cup title, reaffirming their status as one of Africa’s elite football nations. It was a night of pride, passion, and pan-African unity—crowned fittingly by Nigerian excellence.

Up next for Eric Chelle’s team is an international friendly against Russia next weekend.