Nigeria vs Tunisia: The clash of the Eagles. Nigeria super eagles crash out of the 2021 Africa cup of Nations group 16 play offs. A win in the match would have guaranteed them a place in the quarter finals but the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia took that spot with a 1-0 lead.
The ‘Clash of Eagles’ took place at the Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua, where Nigeria had played its three group stage matches and won amazingly well. One would have thought the pitch had a good luck charm for the Super Eagles but it was not meant to be.
Nigeria vs Tunisia have played against each other on five different occasions at the AFCON, with the Super Eagles winning all but one of these previous meetings, well make that two now.
With a starting line up of Okoye, Aina, Troost-Ekong, Omeruo, Sanusi; Ndidi, Aribo; Iheanacho, Chwukeuze, Simon; Awoniyi; the match was set to be explosive.
Skilful forwards Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho failed to put in a goal as they barely got a chance on the pitch in the tough game.
Moses Simon who played a major role in the Super Eagles win in their group matches against Egypt, Sudan, and Guinea Bissau, was flanked by two Tunisian defenders almost through out the game, rendering him handicapped in the 95-minute game.
Barely two minutes after he was brought into the game, Alex Iwobi was given a red card for a bad tackle, which the referee confirmed with the VAR
A long-range shot from Youssef Msakni gave the Carthage Eagles their first goal in the game just barely 2 minutes into the second half
The loss was hard earned for the Super Eagles as they had become the favorites after being the only squad to have gone through the group stages with no loss and conceded goals.
Credit goes to Tunisia though, even with a Covid- stricken bench, they ousted the Super Eagles leaving nothing to bare
Tunisia marches on and now looks forward to a quarter-final clash against Burkina Faso on 29 January.
While the Super Eagles of Nigeria will now turn their wings to the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers in March where they will face Ghana with Jose Peseiro as new head coach
