Tunisia coach: “Nigeria failure in World Cup qualifiers may have a psychological impact on some of the players”

Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi has spoken about his team’s upcoming clash against Nigeria in the second round of the group stage at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Carthage Eagles opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uganda, while Nigeria also started strongly, edging Tanzania 2-1 in their first match.

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Trabelsi said:
“After the first win, we have fully entered the tournament atmosphere, especially after the poor start we had in the previous edition. We must continue with the same level.”

He added:
“Now the pressure is different against Nigeria, one of the giants of the continent with great stature. We are demanding a very high level from all the players.”

Trabelsi also highlighted the quality within the Nigerian squad, stating:
“Nigeria have top players like Lookman and Osimhen. When we face Nigeria, the pressure is positive, not negative.”

Tunisia coach spoke about Nigeria failure in the World Cup qualifiers:
“Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the World Cup does not change anything in tomorrow’s match. They are certainly disappointed, and this may have a psychological impact on some of the players, but we focused only on the technical aspects of our team, and not on the opponent’s situation.”

Talking about his own team, the Tunisian coach concluded:
“We are a national team known more for collective strength than individual brilliance. We have the same level of discipline within the squad. There is no exceptional player — the strength lies in the group as a whole.”

Tunisia vs Nigeria Date and Kick-Off Time

Tunisia will face Nigeria on Saturday, 27 December at 8:00 PM GMT in what is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the group.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.