AFCON 2025: Ndidi and Talbi confident as Nigeria Face Tunisia in Fès
Nigeria and Tunisia are set for a pivotal Group C clash at the Complexe Sportif de Fès on Saturday evening, with both sides entering the contest on three points after opening victories. Nigeria edged Tanzania 2-1, while Tunisia defeated Uganda 3-1, meaning qualification for the knockout stages could be secured with another win.
Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi insisted his team are embracing the challenge without pressure.
‘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,’ he said.
Reflecting on the responsibility of representing the nation, Ndidi added: ‘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.’
Tunisia’s Montassar Talbi emphasized discipline and unity as the keys to success.
‘When we play against big teams, we give our best. 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,’ he explained.
Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle acknowledged Tunisia’s strength but remained confident in his side’s progress.
‘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. There is no pressure on us, this tournament is an opportunity to correct what went wrong before and continue building our identity.’
His counterpart Sami Trabelsi highlighted the need for balance and focus.
‘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.’
The fixture carries rich historical context. Nigeria and Tunisia have met 21 times, with Tunisia winning six and Nigeria five, while 10 matches ended in draws.
At AFCON finals, Nigeria hold a slight edge with three wins to Tunisia’s one, though their last meeting in 2021 saw Tunisia triumph 1-0 thanks to Youssef Msakni. Tunisia also recently celebrated a milestone, with Ellyes Skhiri scoring their 100th AFCON goal.
Nigeria enter the match unbeaten in their last seven AFCON group games and have scored in 13 of their last 14 tournament outings, underlining their attacking consistency.
Forward Ademola Lookman is expected to be central to their offensive threat, while Tunisia will look to build on their confident start in Morocco. With both sides determined to seize control of Group C, the clash in Fès promises intensity and high drama.
