The Super Eagles of Nigeria continue their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign tomorrow night when they face Tunisia in their second Group C fixture at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, Soccernet.ng reports.
After opening their tournament with a narrow victory against Tanzania, Eric Chelle’s men will be targeting maximum points to strengthen their grip on qualification for the knockout stages and avoid the complications that often follow slow starts at AFCON finals.
Tunisia are no fluke either. A dominant attacking display against Uganda in their opening game will definitely have the Nigerian backline worried.
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Nigeria vs Tunisia: Head-to-head
Nigeria and Tunisia share a long and competitive history at the Africa Cup of Nations, and away from the tournament.
The Super Eagles have won three of their last ten meetings with the Carthage Eagles, including memorable victories at the AFCON 2000 and AFCON 2006.
However, Tunisia eliminated Nigeria from the Round of 16 at AFCON 2021, edging a tense encounter 1–0 in Garoua. That defeat ended Nigeria’s perfect group-stage run in Cameroon under Austine Eguavoen and serves as a timely reminder of Tunisia’s ability to frustrate and punish even the most talented sides.
Over the last ten meetings between both sides, Tunisia emerged victorious thrice, with the remaining four fixtures ending all square.
Neither Nigeria nor Tunisia have recorded any injuries or fatigue problems heading into their second game in Group C, meaning both sides will most likely be at full strength when they have a go at themselves tomorrow.
Given the quality of the opposition, it wouldn’t be out of place for Eric Chelle to make a few tweaks to the team that secured three points against Tanzania.
The back four involving Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey and Zaidu Sanusi should remain unchanged, while Frank Onyeka’s burst of energy in midfield will see him pair with Wilfred Ndidi in midfield.
Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman will be slightly ahead of the pivot while Victor Osimhen leads the line.
Sami Trabelsi’s men looked incredible against Uganda, and it is unlikely the 61-year-old will want to take out any individuals.
Possible lineups
Nigeria: 4-2-3-1
Stanley Nwabali; Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi; Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka; Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman; Victor Osimhen
Tunisia: 4-3-3
Aymen Dahmen; Yan Valery, Dylan Bronn, Montassar Talbi, Ali Abdi; Ellyes Skhiri, Ferjani Sassi, Hannibal Mejbri; Elias Saad, Hazem Mastouri, Elias Achouri.
Match details
- Competition: Africa Cup of Nations 2025
- Group: C
- Venue: Complexe Sportif de Fès, Morocco
- Date: Saturday, December 27.
- Kickoff time: 9:00 PM WAT
- Referee: Boubou Traore (Mali)
The 36-year-old referee is well known for his keenness to give out yellow cards. In 16 CAF Champions League games, Traore gave out 47 yellow cards and one red card. In 15 CAF Confederation Cup games, the Malian ref gave out 56 yellow cards and two red cards. He simply doesn’t hold back, and that’ll be something for both teams to watch out for.
In addition to Traore’s appointment, CAF has confirmed that Senegalese match official Issa Sy will serve as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the encounter.