The Super Eagles won all their three group games but came unstuck against Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles in Garoua. What promised to be a long campaign was brought to an abrupt end at the first knockout stage.
Nigeria went into the knockout game against Tunisia with the best record of the group stage, nine points and six goals and just one conceded. Many of their fanswere predicting a tasty final with hosts Cameroon. It would have been a glorious end to the Africa Cup of Nations. All that dream is gone now.
The Tunisians were not that sleek. They managed to scrape through the group stages with three points, they lost to debutants Gambia and finished as one of the best four third-placed teams.
But the form book was thrown out the window when the two giants of African football met in Garoua on Sunday night. Both sides matched up equally in the first half with little to separate them. There were hardly any chances created in a cagey, well-contested game.
However, the Carthage Eagles were the first to kick into gear when the second half started as Youssef Msakni scored via a low shot with a slight curve from outside the box that beat goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. The Tunisians held on even as Nigeria threw bodies forward.
Nigeria’s coach Austin Eguavoen sent in Alex Iwobi in place of Kelechi Iheanacho to shake up the attack. But the Everton man would be sent off a few minutes later for a dangerous tackle. Nigeria had to find something special, but they just could not get the goal they needed, as the defensive solidity of the Tunisians showed.
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