NIGERIA crashed out of AFCON 2022 tonight after losing 1-0 to Tunisia in their last-16 clash.
Everton’s Alex Iwobi was also sent off for the Super Eagles just five minutes after coming on as a sub.
- Start time: 7pm GMT
- TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Football
- Nigeria XI: Okoye, Aina, Omeruo, Troost-Ekong, Sanusi, Ndidi, Aribo, Chukwueze, Iheanacho, Simon, Awoniyi
- Tunisia XI: Said, Drager, Ifaa, Talbi, Haddadi, Ben Slimane, Skhiri, Laidouni, Msakni, Jaziri, Rafia
Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
FT: Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
IT’S A GIANT KILLING!!!
Tournament favourites Nigeria are out of AFCON!
With players and staff out with Covid, Tunisia were stretched to the max.
They achieved the unthinkable.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
93. Nigeria burst forward with the lively Sadiq.
He shows some great pace and quick feet, beating two men before heading towards the Tunisia box.
Eventually he is crowded out by sheer numbers.
Good thing no one put in any trailing legs in that box then.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
90. We will have five minutes of added time here.
Immediately Sadiq runs clear and finds himself with a sight of goal.
The angle is tight, the keeper closes it further and Sadiq pulls his shot wide.
Was that THE chance for Nigeria?
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
89. Nigeria knock the ball long but it falls straight to the Tunisia centre back.
They have run out of ideas, the Eagles of Carthage are holding firm.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
87. Ndidi receives the ball a yard or so outside of the centre of the box.
He lets fly with a shot but drags it well wide of the goal.
Ndidi desperately asks for a corner.
Nothing doing.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
85. This may be the biggest ten minutes or so in recent Tunisian football history.
Do they look to control the game, maybe get another goal or shut up shop?
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
82. Moses Simon takes the free kick and tries to bend it into the left top corner of the goal.
The ball drifts pass a couple of feet wide.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
81. When Tunisia attack they seem to have numbers over all of the time now.
Numerical advantage seems to be tipping the scales more and more.
Nigeria win a free kick on the counter attack.
This is in range of goal.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
79. The Super Eagles seem to be running out of ideas in the final third.
As the clock ticks down, their desperation grows.
Understandably, everything Tunisia now do, takes twice as long.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
77. Tunisia are starting to sense that they are only one goal away from killing this game off.
They seem more at ease laying a glove on their opponent now since the dismissal.
Nigeria win possession and counter quickly but Tunisia keep them out.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
74. Sliti with a shot from outside the box for Tunisia.
He tries to bend it into the far corner but the keeper reads him.
Okoye palms the ball for a corner.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
71. This is a big test for the stand-in Tunisia manager.
Game management can and will decide the outcome of this game.
With a player advantage, fresh legs in the right areas could allow his team to put Nigeria to the sword.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
67. Nigeria come forward and a cross to the back post finds Simon in space.
Taking it down on his thigh, he turns and shoots.
He cannot find a way passed Said in the Tunisia goal.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
66. Alex Iwobi is told by the referee he is retracting his yellow card and giving him a straight red.
The ex-Arsenal man didn’t seem to intend the foul but never the less he did catch his man.
The rulebook does not cater for levels of intent.
RED CARD!!!
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
63. Nigeria try to press forward, the ball is passed to Iwobi who is penalised.
Replays show as he stepped over the ball to get his body in the way, he studded his man.
VAR has asked the referee to go and look at it.
His initial decision was a yellow card.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
60. When they are not pressed, Tunisia look very comfortable in possession passing the ball about their back four.
It is when they try and push into the Nigerian half that they lose possession and have to regroup.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
57. Looks like Alex Iwobi is going to be joining the game.
Despite being massive favourites to win this game, Nigeria are six places below Tunisia in the current FIFA World rankings.
I am sure that is not based on ten of their first team squad being ill when FIFA made that calculation however.
Tunisia are 30th, Nigeria 36th.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
54. Retaining possession could be the problem for Tunisia.
Their ‘out-ball’ at the moment is looking for their lone striker with long balls.
He is often unable to gather it in and Nigeria come straight back at them.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
51. For Tunisia, it is important in the next 20 minutes that they keep Nigeria out.
The Super Eagles need to start living up to their name.
The longer they go without scoring, the more they need to throw everything forward, leaving themselves open to the counter attack.
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
49. For the neutral, this is the perfect start to the second half.
Surely this goal will cause Nigeria to wake up?
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 1
47. Msakni does the unthinkable.
His strike out of nothing from 25 yards out does a bit in the air, enough to fool the Nigerian keeper.
Could this be a giant killing?
GGGGGGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL
Nigeria 0 Tunisia 0
45. Nigeria get the second half started.
They didn’t register a shot on target in the first half, not the form of champions.
They will be looking to grow into the game more as Tunisia tire.
HT: Nigeria 0 Tunisia 0
For Tunisia, a job well done.
However, Nigeria’s school report would say ‘must try harder’.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
