By Kunle Solaja.
Towering striker Paul Onuachu may not rank among Nigeria’s most prolific forwards by sheer numbers, but when he scores, history often follows.
In Nigeria’s Group C Africa Cup of Nations clash against Uganda national football team on Tuesday evening in Fes, Onuachu rose to meet the moment — and the ball.
His goal was more than just a contribution in a crucial group match. It was his first-ever Africa Cup of Nations goal, and more significantly, it became Nigeria’s 150th goal in the history of the competition.
For a player who has scored just four goals in 27 appearances for the Nigeria national footballteam, the strike carried a familiar Onuachu signature: timing, consequence, and quiet drama.
Onuachu’s goals for Nigeria have developed a pattern — they arrive when they matter most.
Four years ago, his second international goal came deep into added time against Benin in an AFCON qualifier. That late header sealed a 1–0 victory that did far more than deliver three points. It ended Nigeria’s 497-day winless run, extended the Super Eagles’ unbeaten streak against Benin to 21 matches, and inflicted the Benin Republic’s first home defeat since June 2013.
The timing was ruthless. Scored just seconds before the end of three minutes of added time, it denied Benin a place in the AFCON group stage and stood as one of the latest goals Nigeria have scored in recent international history.
That sense of dramatic punctuality was present again in Fes. Uganda resisted for long spells, but when the opening came, Onuachu — built more like a basketball power forward than a classic striker — provided the decisive touch.
Speed, Shock and a Record in Asaba
Ironically, the man known for aerial dominance also owns one of the fastest goals in Nigerian football history.
On 26 March 2019, in a friendly match in Asaba, Onuachu stunned Egypt just eight seconds after kick-off. Fans had barely settled into their seats when he unleashed a thunderous strike that decided the match.
The goal ended Nigeria’s 29-year wait for a victory over Egypt and placed Onuachu in the global record books. His strike was recognised as the second-fastest goal in international football, surpassed only by Lukas Podolski, who scored after six seconds for Germany against Ecuador in 2013.
More Than Numbers
Onuachu may never dominate Nigeria’s all-time scoring charts, but his goals continue to carry weight far beyond statistics. From record-breaking speed to last-gasp heartbreakers, and now a landmark AFCON strike against Uganda, each finish seems stitched into a larger story.
In Fes, his name joined a significant chapter of Nigerian football history — not just as a scorer, but as the man whose boot delivered Nigeria’s 150th Africa Cup of Nations goal. For Paul Onuachu, that is becoming something of a trademark.
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