Tunisia Coach Acknowledges Qualities In Nigeria Squad

Tunisia Coach Acknowledges Qualities In Nigeria Squad

Sampson Adedeji

Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi has acknowledged the quality and physical attributes of Nigeria’s players following his side’s defeat to the Super Eagles at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Speaking after the encounter, the Carthage Eagles boss admitted that Nigeria’s pace and power posed significant problems for his team, while also explaining why Tunisia’s tactical plans failed to produce the desired result.

“The players performed at a very high level in that period; we created many chances, scored two goals and could have scored more,” Trabelsi said.

 “The defeat hurts, but there is also a positive aspect: it shows that we can compete with any opponent when we impose our style of play and our ball possession.”

Trabelsi revealed that Tunisia approached the match with caution due to Nigeria’s attacking threat. According to him, limiting space was a key part of the game plan.

“We respected them, yes, while trying to remain balanced. We know that Nigeria have very fast and powerful players, so we tried to reduce the spaces,” he explained.

The Tunisian coach, however, lamented his team’s inefficiency in key moments, particularly in the first half.

“In the first half we had a few chances that we should have taken. The goals we conceded came from crosses; it was not a matter of too much respect, but rather that we lost too many defensive and attacking duels,” Trabelsi noted.

He added that Tunisia improved significantly after winning more individual battles, which allowed them to push Nigeria back in the latter stages of the match.

“Once we started winning our attacking duels, we were much better and put the opponent under pressure. 

"Over the final 35 minutes, we were dominant and the final result could have been very different,” he said.

On his substitutions, Trabelsi defended his decisions, insisting the overall performance was not poor despite the loss.

“When we needed even more attacking penetration, we introduced Ismail Gharbi, but the performance of those already on the pitch was not poor. The next match will be decisive,” he concluded.

Tunisia will now turn their attention to their next group fixture, where a positive result will be crucial to keeping their AFCON 2025 hopes alive.