AFCON: Nigeria, Tunisia battle for three points in top-of-the-table clash

by · The Eagle Online

One of Africa’s most storied and remarkable football rivalries makes another stop on Saturday, this time in the Moroccan city of Fès as Nigeria and Tunisia clash in a top-of-the-table encounter of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the 35,000-capacity Complexe Sportif de Fès.

With three points taken by each team from their opening games, the stage is set for fiery exchanges as Coaches Eric Chelle and Sami Trabelsi, themselves former players, will be determined to push their teams to achieve victory and book an early spot in the tournament’s Round of 16.

There have been a total of 21 matches between both teams, dating back 64 years, with each having won six times.

The remaining nine matches were drawn, though some eventually went into penalty shootouts.

Of the three that stretched to penalty shootouts, Nigeria won two, including a memorable 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture and an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final duel that flowed back and forth in the Egyptian city of Port Said 19 years ago.

Tunisia won the lottery in the 2004 AFCON that they hosted, edging the Eagles to set up a Final clash with Morocco’s Atlas Lions.

Both teams have staged walkouts against each other, with Nigeria leaving the pitch in an AFCON qualifying match in Tunis in December 1961 after a controversial goal, and Tunisia opting to do the same when Nigeria scored an equalising goal through Baba Otu Mohammed in an AFCON bronze-medal match in Kumasi, Ghana in March 1978. 

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When the Carthage Eagles pipped the Super Eagles 1-0 in the Round of 16 at the AFCON in Cameroon four years ago, it was their first victory over Nigeria in a competitive match since 1985 when they won a 1986 World Cup qualifying match 2-0 in Tunis.

There have been high drama, muscle-flexing, and boardroom blowouts, and Saturday’s encounter will be another game of intensity and power-play as Nigeria seek to establish themselves as one of the favourites for the trophy and Tunisia, who will be going to next year’s FIFA World Cup finals, determined to fight for a second continental title.

Trabelsi, who was in the squad that Khaled Badra led to win Tunisia’s only AFCON title at home in 2004, has the likes of Captain Ferjani Sassi, Ali Maãloul, Hannibal Mejbri, Dylan Bronn, Ben Ali, Ali Ben Romdhane, and Yan Valery who can turn a game on its head within a split second. 

They showed their deadliness in sweeping aside Uganda in Rabat on Tuesday evening.

For Chelle, the triumvirate of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Samuel Chukwueze at the fore, and the duo of Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi at the rear provide some assurance. 

With Osimhen still looking for his first goal of the tournament, the Carthage Eagles could be under tremendous pressure from Nigeria’s ace forward who boasts 31 goals in 47 matches.

Midfield lubricator Alexander Iwobi, likely to win his 93rd cap, will be expected to play a key role in Nigeria’s challenge for the three points. 

Captain Wilfred Ndidi will surely be called upon several times to break up the play of the fast-paced Tunisians.

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