Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi is confident of his side chances of securing victory when they face Nigeria on Saturday at the ongoing AFCON tournament in Morocco, SportPremi reports.
The Carthage Eagles will do battle against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Fez Stadium in their second group C clash on Saturday night.
Trabelsi was the head coach of the Tunisia’s national team when Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations in 2013 and the 57-year-old returned earlier this year for a second spell in charge.
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He led the country to a comfortable 3-1 win over Uganda in their opening group game, setting early pace in the group ahead of the remaining rounds of matches.
Elias Achouri bagged a brace in that clash, adding to an early opener from Ellyes Skhiri, while Uganda grabbed a late consolation through Denis Omedi.
Everything Trabelsi said ahead of the clash against Nigeria
Tunisia will be hoping for victory against the Super Eagles to book their ticket to the next round of the competition.
The Carthage Eagles failed to progress beyond the group stages in the last edition in Ivory Coast and will be eyeing a better display this time around.
Speaking ahead of the crucial face-off, Trabelsi expressed that a victory would improve his side’s momentum heading into the next round of the competition.
“The city has been very welcoming, and we are delighted with the support from Moroccan fans. We consider every match to be difficult and approach each opponent with the respect they deserve. Our objective is to improve with every game as we build momentum”, the Carthage Eagles boss stated.
“Even though we played under heavy rain, the pitch remained in excellent, playable condition. The organisation has been very professional.”
Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejri also praised his side’s win over Uganda in their opening clash, believing it was a turning point ahead of their remaining matches.
The 22-year-old made his first appearance at the African Cup of Nations since 2022 when he featured against the Cranes, marking his third game at the continental tournament.
“It was important for us to start with a win. Obviously, it gives us momentum going into the next games,” Hannibal said.
Tunisia eye winning outcome against Nigeria
Tunisia and Nigeria both began their campaign with impressive wins over Uganda and Tanzania respectively and will challenge for a likely top spot in group C later on Saturday.
The Carthage Eagles were victorious when the both teams clashed at the AFCON at the 2021 edition, defeating the Super Eagles 1-0 in their round of 16 clash and will be hoping for another winning outcome this time around.
A win would secure their spot in the next round, while a defeat would mean they head into the final group clash against Tanzania in search of maximum points.
