Tunisia ended Nigeria’s AFCON run with a first-half strike from Yousef Mskani as the North Africans ran away with a shock 1-0 win over the Super Eagles in Garoua, Cameroon.
The Super Eagles dashed many expectations with the outcome on the night as a Tunisian side ravaged by Covid-19 put up a scintillating performance to beat the Nigeria who won all their group games.
Nigeria woes were compounded after Alex Iwobi was controversially sent off for a foul on Mskani few minutes after coming on.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Nigeria’s momentum did not alter too much as it hardly existed beforehand, with Wildfred Ndidi trying his luck from outside the box a number of times and failing to hit the target on each occasion.
For a side that won all three of their group games and even rested the majority of their stars for their previous match, the tournament favourites looked out of ideas in the face of some heroic defending.
Umar Sadiq had the best chance level things up, only to see his shot roll across the face of the goal and wide of the far-post. Tunisia will play Burkina Faso in Saturday’s quarter-final.
It was Nigeria’s first defeat at the knockout stage of the competition since their 2-1 quarter-final loss to Ghana in 2008.
