Nigeria and Tunisia ooze confidence ahead of high-stakes Group C showdown in Fès
Nigeria and Tunisia meet in a pivotal Group C clash at the Complexe Sportif de Fès on Friday at 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT). Both teams begin the match with three points from their first outing at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, after Nigeria edged Tanzania 2-1 and Tunisia defeated Uganda 3-1. With knockout-stage qualification on the line, the encounter promises intensity as both sides look to consolidate their winning starts.
Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi reflected on his side’s mindset ahead of the clash. “There is no pressure on us — none at all. We didn’t qualify for the World Cup, but we are ready for this tournament. This competition is another opportunity to put things right. The players are ready, the team is ready, the manager is ready, and everyone around the group is fully prepared. What we went through during the World Cup qualifiers was painful — exiting in that way hurt. But now we are focused. This tournament gives us a real opportunity to achieve something, and we are determined to make the most of it.”
He added: “We know we are here to represent everyone — all Nigerians, wherever they are in the world — and we are grateful for that support. We understand the passion on the other side. We know how football can influence the mood of the nation. When we win, people are happy. We are aware of that responsibility because we grew up in that environment. For now, we are focusing only on the positives, because that is the mindset we want to maintain.”
Tunisian defender Montassar Talbi stressed the importance of discipline and focus. “When we play against big teams, we give our best. We have already played against strong opponents and we performed well. To win this game, we need to trust ourselves and give everything we have. Everyone in the group must stay united and continue working as if this is our first game. We must protect our discipline, our concentration, and always give our best.”
What was said
Eric Chelle – Nigeria head coach:
“Tunisia are a big team with a strong playing identity and a solid World Cup qualifying campaign behind them. They play good football and started this tournament very well. But we have a good team too, and we are improving with every match. In my mind, we may either let Tunisia have the ball and play directly when we recover it, or continue with our philosophy. There is no pressure on us — this tournament is an opportunity to correct what went wrong before and continue building our identity.”
Sami Trabelsi – Tunisia head coach:
“Yes, in the last game there was no real expression. When we play with only organised offense and defense, it decreases the performance of some players. Nigeria are strong offensively and defensively. All players will be involved, not only defenders. We focus only on the field; social media or past results will not affect us. Hazem is fit and doing better in training. There is no national team without weak points, and we have studied Nigeria’s. To go far, we must beat big teams.”
Historical context
Nigeria and Tunisia have a long-standing rivalry, having met 21 times in all competitions. Of those encounters, Nigeria has claimed five victories, Tunisia six, while 10 matches ended in draws. In AFCON finals, Nigeria holds a slight edge with three wins to Tunisia’s one, and two matches were decided on penalties. Their last meeting came in the 2021 round of 16, when Tunisia edged Nigeria 1-0 thanks to a Youssef Msakni strike. Tunisia have enjoyed recent success in second-group stage matches, winning three and drawing two of their last five, while Ellyes Skhiri marked a milestone by scoring Tunisia’s 100th goal in AFCON history last time out.
Key statistics and keystars
Nigeria enter Friday’s clash unbeaten in their last seven AFCON group matches and have found the net in 13 of their last 14 tournament games, highlighting their attacking consistency. Tunisia, meanwhile, are building momentum and confidence after a strong start in Morocco 2025. Among Nigeria’s key players, forward Ademola Lookman has been in fine form during AFCON qualifiers and is expected to play a crucial role in attack, offering pace, creativity, and the potential for decisive assists. Both sides will be keen to assert themselves in this high-stakes Group C encounter, with victory likely to bring them closer to securing a place in the knockout rounds.