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Who: Nigeria vs Tunisia
What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Where: Fez Stadium successful Fez, Morocco
When: Saturday, December 27, astatine 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT successful beforehand of our substance commentary stream.
Nigeria were near to rue their inability to person chances successful their opening match, and the erstwhile champions tin sick spend a repetition erstwhile they look a resolute Tunisia broadside successful Saturday’s pivotal clash successful Fez.
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Tunisia, by contrast, get with momentum and pedigree, having already secured qualification for adjacent year’s FIFA World Cup, and underlined their credentials by easing past Uganda to spell apical of the radical connected Tuesday.
While Nigeria did good to flooded Tanzania and assertion Group C’s 2nd spot, they were wasteful successful beforehand of extremity connected respective occasions, with prima striker Victor Osimhen failing to interaction the crippled successful immoderate meaningful way.
If the three-time AFCON winners are to harbour hopes of beating Tunisia, they volition request their Galatasaray guardant to measurement up and rediscover the signifier that has made him 1 of the game’s astir feared attackers.
Here’s everything you request to cognize astir Nigeria vs Tunisia:
What happened successful Nigeria’s archetypal lucifer of AFCON 2025?
Nigeria defeated Tanzania 2-1 successful Tuesday’s run opener, acknowledgment to a first-half header from defender Semi Ajayi and a second-half onslaught from attacking midfielder Ademola Lookman.
While the Super Eagles secured each 3 points, the scoreline flattered Tanzania, with Nigeria wasting respective opportunities to widen their pb – margins that often beryllium decisive successful tourney football.
What happened successful Tunisia’s archetypal lucifer of AFCON 2025?
Tunisia besides recorded a winning commencement to their AFCON campaign, easing past Uganda 3-1 successful Rabat.
Ellyes Skhiri headed successful an aboriginal opener, and winger Elias Achouri past scored doubly connected either broadside of half-time.
The 3 points surpassed Tunisia’s two-point tally from the AFCON 2023 campaign, successful which they suffered a first-round exit.
Tunisia’s guardant Elias Achouri was the leader successful their opening AFCON fixture connected Tuesday [Sebastien Bozon/AFP]AFCON Group C standings aft opening radical matches
After the archetypal circular of matches, Tunisia are connected apical of Group C with 3 points, supra second-placed Nigeria connected extremity difference. Tanzania are third, portion Uganda are bottom, with some teams having nary points.
The apical 2 teams from each group, on with the champion 4 third-placed teams, volition beforehand to the circular of 16.
When are Nigeria’s and Tunisia’s last radical games?
Both teams volition decorativeness their group-stage fixtures connected Tuesday.
A triumph for either Tanzania oregon Uganda successful the earlier kickoff connected Saturday volition acceptable up a tense finale successful the group, nary substance the result of Nigeria’s lucifer against Tunisia.
Group C’s finales:
- Tanzania vs Tunisia (Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, 5pm/16:00 GMT)
- Uganda vs Nigeria (Fez Stadium, 5pm/16:00 GMT)
Who are Nigeria’s cardinal players?
Although prima striker Osimhen is Nigeria’s highest-profile player, helium was acold from his champion aforesaid successful the opening lucifer against Tanzania, misfiring connected respective occasions.
Right winger Samuel Chukwueze was progressive successful a batch of playmaking, near winger Alex Iwobi was a standout performer with the astir chances, and extremity scorer Lookman was besides unsafe successful attack.
Who are Tunisia’s cardinal players?
Winger Achouri, whose brace led Tunisia to a triumph implicit Uganda, is the team’s prima attacking player.
Midfielder Skhiri, who was besides among the scorers, and youngster Hannibal Mejbri, who created the astir chances, are the different notable Tunisian players.
Form guide
All competitions, astir caller effect last:
Nigeria: W-L-L-W-W
Tunisia: W-W-D-L-D
Head-to-head
Nigeria and Tunisia person met 21 times successful total, including competitory and affable matches.
Tunisia person won 7 of those meetings, Nigeria person won six, portion 8 games ended successful a draw.
Their astir caller gathering was successful January 2022 astatine the AFCON’s last-16 stage, wherever Tunisia won 1-0.
AFCON records
Nigeria person played astatine AFCON 20 times, finishing winners connected 3 occasions – astir precocious lifting the trophy successful 2013 – and runners-up 5 times. Remarkably, they person finished successful the apical 3 successful 13 of their past 15 AFCON appearances.
Tunisia person appeared 21 times astatine the continental championships, emerging winners connected their location ungraded successful 2004. They person besides finished arsenic runners-up twice. This year’s variation marks Tunisia’s 17th consecutive AFCON appearance.
While Nigeria is not 1 of the outright favourites for the AFCON 2025 title, the Super Eagles boast a talented squad susceptible of pulling disconnected a heavy tally [Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP]Nigeria squad news
Nigeria’s caput coach, Eric Chelle, has nary caller wounded concerns. However, helium could marque immoderate changes successful defence, perchance benching Zaidu Sanusi aft his mediocre show astatine near backmost successful the opening match.
Nigeria’s predicted lineup
Stanley Nwabali (goalkeeper); Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi; Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfried Ndidi, Alex Iwobi; Ademola Lookman; Victor Osimhen, Akor Adams
Tunisia squad news
Hazem Mastouri’s availability came into uncertainty aft helium came disconnected astatine half-time against Uganda pursuing a bid of dense tackles, but the striker has been deemed acceptable to look Nigeria.
Tunisia’s predicted lineup
Aymen Dahmen (goalkeeper); Yan Valery, Dylan Bronn, Montassar Talbi, Ali Abdi; Ferjani Sassi, Elyes Skhiri, Hannibal Mejbri; Elias Achouri, Hazem Mastouri, Elias Saad
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