The Super Eagles of Nigeria will continue their quest for a strong start at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when they face the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in a crucial Group C clash at the Complexe Sportif de Fes on Saturday night, Footynaija.com reports.
Both sides head into matchday two full of confidence after opening their campaigns with victories, setting the stage for a battle that could go a long way in deciding control of the group.
Nigeria edged Tanzania 2-1 in their opener, while Tunisia produced an assured display to dispatch Uganda 3-1, leaving the two early pace-setters level on three points ahead of what promises to be a finely balanced encounter.
Match Preview & Head-to-Head
With both teams already off the mark, Saturday’s meeting carries added significance as a win would put either side in a commanding position in Group C.
For Nigeria, the narrow victory over Tanzania provided encouragement but also betrayed some lapses, particularly in front of goal. Tunisia, on the other hand, looked more clinical in their opening outing and will be keen to build on that momentum as they seek to assert themselves as group favourites.
Historically, this fixture has been evenly matched. Across 17 previous meetings, Tunisia hold a slight edge with six wins to Nigeria’s five, while six encounters have ended in draws. However, the balance tilts in Nigeria’s favour at the AFCON finals, where the Super Eagles have won three of six clashes, compared to just one victory for Tunisia.
Recent trends suggest another tight contest could be on the cards. Tunisia claimed the most recent meeting, a 1-0 victory in the round of 16 at the 2021 AFCON, and have lost only once in their last eight games against Nigeria in all competitions.
Goals have also been a feature in recent outings for both teams, with six of Nigeria’s last seven matches seeing both sides score, while eight of Tunisia’s last eleven games have produced at least three goals. One area Nigeria will be eager to improve is their slow starts, having failed to score before the half-hour mark in their last nine AFCON finals matches.
Despite those numbers, Eric Chelle’s men will take heart from the way they managed the closing stages against Tanzania and the growing understanding within the squad. Tunisia, coached by Sami Trabelsi, arrive in Fes with similar confidence, knowing that another positive result would all but secure their passage to the knockout stages.
Team News
Nigeria emerged from their opening match without any fresh injury concerns, and Chelle is expected to stick with his preferred 4-4-2 diamond. Ademola Lookman, who was joint top scorer at the previous tournament, will be looking to build on his lively performance against Tanzania, while Alex Iwobi, fresh from providing two assists last time out, remains key to Nigeria’s creativity.
Tunisia also reported a clean bill of health, giving Sami Trabelsi little reason to make changes. The Carthage Eagles are expected to line up in a familiar 4-3-3, with Hazem Mastouri leading the attack. Achouri, already among the tournament’s leading scorers, will once again be a major threat from the flanks as he continues his push for the Golden Boot.
Predicted lineup
Nigeria: Nwabali; Osayi-Samuel, Bassey, Ajayi, Sanusi; Ndidi, Iwobi, Chukwueze, Lookman; Adams, Osimhen
Tunisia: Dahmen; Valery, Bronn, Talbi, Abdi; Sassi, Skhiri, Mejbri; Achouri, Mastouri, Saad
Match Details
Fixture: Nigeria vs Tunisia
Venue: Complexe Sportif de Fes
Date: Saturday, December 27
Kick-off: 9:00 PM WAT
Competition: 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Group C
