Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi has pointed to lost duels and defensive lapses as key reasons behind his side’s 3-2 defeat to Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria secured their place in the Round of 16 with a second straight win in Group C, but only after surviving a dramatic late surge from the Carthage Eagles in Fez on Saturday night.
The Super Eagles raced into a commanding 3-0 lead through Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman, whose performance included two assists and a well-taken goal. Tunisia, previously solid defensively in both World Cup qualifiers and their AFCON opener, struggled to contain Nigeria’s pace and aerial power.
Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi: Nigeria dominated early, we conceded on set-pieces, but we improved in the last 30 minutes. The tournament is long, and Tunisia must respond in the next match. #AFCON2025 #Tunisia #Nigeria #CAF pic.twitter.com/TBf6Eqwohb
— Alkass English (@alkassenglish) December 28, 2025
Tunisia responded late through Montassar Talbi’s header and Ali Abdi’s VAR-awarded penalty, coming close to a remarkable comeback before Nigeria held firm.
Reflecting on the loss, Trabelsi said:
“Of course, there is a sense of bitterness after the match and this defeat… The defeat hurts, but there is also a positive aspect: it shows that we can compete with any opponent when we impose our style of play.“
Après son but d’un coup de casque magistral, l’attaquant nigérian a envoyé un message provocateur au staff de la Tunisie. 😩.
— Med Sesay 🇬🇳🇸🇱🇨🇩 (@MedSesayMS) December 27, 2025
Victor Osimhen a chambré Sami Trabelsi qui avait tenté de le sortir de son match. Il a répondu présent. 🔥👏.#medsesay pic.twitter.com/11Yjtoe1Nj
He added that Nigeria’s goals came from crosses and physical battles his side failed to win, despite improving late on.
“We did not start the match well because we lost too many duels… over the final 35 minutes, we were dominant and the final result could have been very different.”
Nigeria move to six points and face Uganda next, while Tunisia must beat Tanzania to keep their qualification hopes alive.
