By Emmanuel Ebimoh
After the disappointing exit of the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the semi-finals of the ongoing African Cup of Nations, many Nigerians might feel uninterested in the resulting third-place match against Tunisia.
The Super Eagles had lost to the Dessert Foxes of Algeria after a devastating last-minute freekick by Riyad Mahrez to hand Algeria a 2-1 victory. Despite starting the tournament in a slow style, the Super Eagles promptly accelerated their performance with wins over defending champions, Cameroon in the round of 16, and South Africa in the quarter-finals. While many would argue that albeit the win, the team still did not perform up to their high standards, coach Gernot Rohr would have been grateful for anything but an exit in the semi-finals.
For Tunisia, Head coach of the team, Alain Giresse has warned that his team would do anything possible to win the third-place match when they face the Super Eagles. The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia head to the game after losing 1-0 to Senegal in a tensed semi-final encounter that stretched into extra time last weekend. Although qualifying from the group stage with three draws, Tunisia would surely want to justify their position above the Super Eagles in the FIFA world ranking when both sides lock horns at the Al Salam Stadium, 8pm on Wednesday night.
The last four meetings between Tunisia and Nigeria in an AFCON tournament ended in four victories for Nigeria while Tunisia last recorded a win in the semi-finals in 2004.
