The senior teams of Nigeria and Tunisia will lock horns for the sixth time at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, with four of the previous five matches being played in knock-out games.
Today at the Stade Roumdé Adjia, Nigeria will file out with three wins in three from their group phase campaign. The Tunisians were only able to defeat Mauritania while losing to Mali and The Gambia.
Both countries are led by indigenous coaches: Mondher Kebaier for Tunisia and Augustine Eguavoen of Nigeria.
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The match will be Eguavoen’s 16th for Nigeria across three stints, during which he has walked off the pitch victorious in 13 of the previous 15, with only two narrow defeats. He is also the only man to have coached Nigeria to win all three group phase matches at the AFCON, achieving this in both his AFCON odysseys in 2006 and 2022.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
Nigeria 1 vs 0 Tunisia (2019 AFCON, third-placed match)
Nigeria beat Tunisia for their eighth AFCON bronze in their last encounter in 2019.
Odion Ighalo’s tap in-handed Nigeria the third-place AFCON finish.
During the game, the forward, who is the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, was gifted an easy tap-in following a Tunisian defensive mix-up at the Al Salam Stadium.
Nigeria 6 vs 5 Tunisia pen. (2006 AFCON, Quarter-finals )
At the Al Masry Stadium on 4th February 2006, Obinna Nsofor scored for Nigeria before Karim Haggui leveled for the Cup holders. In the shootout, Joseph Yobo and Yusuf Ayila missed as Chedli and Ben Achour did for Tunisia. Taye Taiwo, Nsofor, and Obafemi Martins scored, as did Namouchi, Guemamdia, and Jose Clayton for Tunisia. John Mikel Obi and goalkeeper Enyeama scored for Nigeria as did goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel and Hadj Massaoud for Tunisia, but after Nwankwo Kanu scored for Nigeria, Riadh Bouazizi saw his kick saved by Enyeama.
Nigeria 4 vs 2 Tunisia (AFCON 2000, Group stage)
In recent and decent memory, Nigeria edged their opening encounter of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations 4-2 in Lagos, with Jay-Jay Okocha and Victor Ikpebe earning a brace each. In 2009, a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture ended 0-0 and 2-2 in Tunis and Abuja, and in 2019 Nigeria won the bronze medals of the 32nd AFCON 1-0 in Cairo at the expense of the Carthage Eagles.
Their most recent encounter was a friendly game in Austria in October 2020, which ended 1-1 with Nigeria’s goal scored by Kelechi Iheanacho.
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Tunisia 5 vs 3 Nigeria pen. (2004 AFCON, Semi-finals)
Tunisia’s only successful Africa Cup of Nations meeting with Nigeria came in
2004, when they progressed via penalties in the semi-finals after the match
finished level, going on to win the competition that year.
1980
In 1980, both countries tied 2-2 on aggregate in a Spain 82 World Cup
qualifying fixture, with Nigeria proceeding after a penalty shootout. In 1985,
Tunisia edged their 1986 World Cup qualifying fixture 2-1 on aggregate – a lone
goal by Okey Isima canceled out with a two-goal blitz in the first 15 minutes
of the return inside the Stade El Menzah in Tunis.
Tunisia 0 vs 2 Nigeria (1978 AFCON,
third-place Match)
In dim and distant memory, Tunisia reached the final round of the 1978 FIFA
World Cup African series after an own goal by Godwin Odiye in Lagos on 12th
November 1977 eliminated Nigeria, but the following year, Nigeria earned the
bronze medals of the 11th AFCON when Tunisia abandoned the match in the 42nd
minute following an equalizer by Baba Otu Mohammed. Nigeria was awarded the
match 2-0.
Sourced from PUNCH.
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