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Tag: Tunisia

  • AFCON: Tunisia, good test for Eagles, says Moses Simon

    AFCON: Tunisia, good test for Eagles, says Moses Simon

    Super Eagles winger Moses Simon says their Round of 16 opponents, Tunisia, would be a good test for the team.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles will file out against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Round of 16 encounter at the Stade Roumdé Adjia in Garoua.

    Simon, who spoke after the team’s training session on Friday, said that the team had put their past victories behind and are now looking forward to the battle against Tunisia.

    “Things are looking good and I think it will be a good one for us playing a good Tunisian side.

    “Our campaign so far in the tourney has been great, especially with the three victories and nine points.

    “However, that is all behind us now and we look forward to our next challenge against another very strong side in Tunisia,” he said.

    On his superlative performance at the AFCON so far, the Nantes of France winger said the change of play introduced by the new coach had impacted positively on his game.

    “I am not surprised at all about my performance because I actually came prepared for the tournament and this is something I am used to doing in my club.

    “Also, with the former coach I played as a wing back and sometimes, left back and of course I am grateful for that because he gave me the opportunity to show myself and he believed in me.

    “But with this present coach, he gave me the freedom of attacking and said you just go and do your thing and defend less,” he said.

    NAN also reports that Friday’s training saw all 27 players participating and taking part in a routine light jogging and stretches.

    The players were then split into two groups in the final one hour of the training as they worked on short passes, ball control as well as some tactical play.

    The first group comprised of Captain Ahmed Musa, Simon, Henry Onyekweru, Taiwo Awoniyi, Chidera Ejuke, Peter Olayinka and Samuel Chukwueze.

    Alex Iwobi, Sadiq Umar, Joe Aribo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Nwakali and Frank Onyeka made up the second group.

    While the third group had assistant team captain William Troost-Ekong, Tyrone Ebuehi, Zaidu Sanusi, Kenneth Omeruo, Olisa Ndah, Olaoluwa Aina, Jamilu Collins, Chidozie Awaziem and Oluwasemilogo Ajayi.

    Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen supervised the session along with assistant coaches Salisu Yusuf, Paul Aigbogun, Joseph Yobo, Terry Eguaoje and Aloysius Agu, the Goalkeeper trainer, who drilled the quartet of Maduka Okoye, Daniel Akpeyi, Francis Uzoho and John Noble.

  • AFCON 2021: Super Eagles to face Tunisia in Round of 16

    AFCON 2021: Super Eagles to face Tunisia in Round of 16

    Super Eagles of Nigeria will take on Tunisia in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16.

    This was confirmed on Thursday, following the completion of all group games in the competition.

    Nigeria finished top of Group D ahead of Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.

    The Carthage Eagles lost 1-0 to Gambia in their final Group F clash.

    Nigeria’s knockout stage fixture against Tunisia will be played on Saturday, January 23.

    Kick off is 8pm.

  • CAF dismisses Tunisia’s protest

    CAF dismisses Tunisia’s protest

    The Organising Committee of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has dismissed the Tunisian football federation’s protest on the officiating of their team’s match with their Malian counterparts.

    The committee met late Thursday to deliberate on the Group F match played on Wednesday which had ended 1-0 in favour of the Malians.

    “After examining the protest of Tunisia and all the match officials’ reports, the Committee decided to dismiss the protest lodged by the Tunisian team.

    ”It also decided that the match result will stand as 1-0 in favour of Mali,” CAF said in a short statement late Thursday.

    Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe had stirred controversy during the match with some inexplicable decisions.

    He had twice ended the match before the stipulated time, leading to comical scenes after the game.

  • AFCON 2021: CAF to investigate Tunisia/Mali match incident

    AFCON 2021: CAF to investigate Tunisia/Mali match incident

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says it has begun investigation into the pandemonium that ensued in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match between Tunisia and Mali.

    The Tunisia/Mali AFCON match on Wednesday descended into a brawl as the referee blew twice to end the match before the statutory 90 minutes had been played, with Tunisia refusing to return to the pitch 40 minutes later, in protest despite having lost 1-0 to Mali.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Tunisia/Mali Group F encounter played at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium had Janny Sikazwe from Zambia as the centre referee.

    A statement by CAF on its official website on Thursday said it was gathering all the necessary reports from the officials at the match, and that it would soon indicate the way forward.

    “In relation to the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations match between Tunisia and Mali played in Limbe on 12 January 2022, CAF is gathering all the necessary reports from the officials at the match.

    “CAF is forwarding these documents to the competent bodies of CAF.

    “At this stage, CAF is not in a position to make further comments, until the responsible bodies indicate the way forward,” it said.

  • Tunisia beat Cote d’Ivoire to successfully defend AfroBasket title

    Tunisia beat Cote d’Ivoire to successfully defend AfroBasket title

    Tunisia on Sunday won the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket title, after beating Cote d’Ivoire 78-75 on Sunday at the Kigali Arena in Rwanda.

    It was the Tunisians’ third AfroBasket title, having claimed the trophy in 2011 in Madagascar, and the 2017 edition of the tournament at home.

    With the win, Tunisia became the first team to win back-to-back AfroBasket titles since Angola in 2009.

    Omar Abada finished with 10 points, while Michael Roll was magnificent by contributing 18 points and nine assists.

    Makram Ben Romdhane contributed eight points and 10 rebounds and Salah Mejri came up with 22 points and six rebounds for Tunisia.

    Makram Ben Romdhane was named the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Most Valuable Player.

    Souleyman Diabate was 4-of-5 from behind the arc to finish with a game-high 22 points, and his teammate Jean-Francois Kebe added 10 points in the losing cause.

    Cote d’Ivoire had a strong start to the game, but Tunisia regrouped in time to close the opening quarter with a 25-18 lead.

    Tunisia went for the break leading 47-34.

    The Tunisians had stepped on the court with one primary goal: to neutralise Cote d’Ivoire’s key player Matt Costello.

    And the Tunisians’ plan worked to perfection as AfroBasket debutant Costello did not score his first two points until four minutes into the third quarter.

    In spite of the 13-point deficit at the break, Cote d’Ivoire opened the third quarter with a sense of urgency.

    The Ivorians used a 10-2 run to cut the reduce the damage to five points (49-44), forcing Dirk Bauermann to call a time-out to reorganise his troops.

    Soon after Cote d’Ivoire’s short-lived resurgence, Tunisia responded with a 5-0 run for a 57-46 lead.

    And even though Salah Mejri had picked his fourth foul with 4:10 minutes left in the third quarter, which forced Bauermann to rest him, the African champions never panicked.

    They kept total control of their AfroBasket 2021 destiny.

    Cheered by a significant portion of fans inside the Kigali Arena, Cote d’Ivoire rallied to single-digits in the fourth quarter.

    Cote d’Ivoire’s Souleyman Diabate, who came up with an outstanding performance, converted a three-point, followed by a free-throw, cutting the points gap to just three points (78-75).

    That was the moment the Ivorians’ last hope of staying in contention happened, especially after Tunisia turned the ball over with 10 seconds left.

    However, after a timeout called by Natxo Lezcano, Costello who had been superb throughout the tournament turned the ball over to allow the Tunisians’ celebration.

    Cote d’Ivoire tried time and time again to try and reverse the score, but trailing by 16 early in the game proved costly to the team that last won a AfroBasket title back in 1985.

    Tunisia closed their FIBA AfroBasket 2021 campaign with a perfect 6-0 record.

  • U20 AFCON: Gambia beat Tunisia on penalties to clinch bronze

    U20 AFCON: Gambia beat Tunisia on penalties to clinch bronze

    Goalkeeper Lamin Saidy saved two penalties as Gambia beat Tunisia 4-2 on post-match penalties at the Stade Cheikha Ould Boidiya in Nouakchott on Friday to clinch bronze at the Total Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Mauritania.

    The game was forced to penalties after a barren stalemate in normal time and Saidy proved to be the hero for the Gambians who equalled their best ever performance at the tournament in 2007, when they also won bronze.

    Saidy saved from Adam Karim Benlamine and substitute Hamdi Abidi to help his side clinch the trophy. Gambia’s only miss in the shootout was from Habessi Achref who saw his penalty saved by substitute keeper Ahmed Laabidi.

    Gambia’s penalties were converted by Momodou Bojang, Alieu Barry, Momodou Jallow and Adama Kanteh. Tunisia’s penalties were scored by Hassan Ayari and Mohamed Amine Ben Zeghda.

  • AFCON Qualifiers: Tunisia, Mali confirm tickets for Cameroon 2022

    AFCON Qualifiers: Tunisia, Mali confirm tickets for Cameroon 2022

    Tunisia and Mali have joined 2019 finalists Senegal, holders Algeria as well as hosts Cameroon as the qualified teams for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    This was after both picked favourable results in match day four games.

    Tunisia progressed in spite of a 1-1 draw with Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, while Mali went through after a 2-1 victory away to Namibia.

    In Tanzania, the Carthage Eagles moved to 10 points on top of Group J after four matches and preserved their unbeaten run.

    Tanzania moved to third with the point, getting to four points and two behind second-placed Equatorial Guinea to keep their qualification hopes alive.

    A second half charge by the Taifa Stars earned them a point, with substitute Feisal ‘Fei Toto’ Salum’s screamer cancelling out Saif Eddine Khaoui’s first-half opener.

    Tunisia went into the break a goal up, Khaoui’s goal the difference between the two sides.

    Khaoui had struck the back of the net with a well-taken first-time shot after being teed up by skipper Youssef Msakni.

    The Carthage Eagles had quickly turned play around after Tanzania’s DItram Nchimbi who failed to control a long ball, chesting it to Ali Maaloul’s path who launched the play forward.

    The Tunisians were gifted for a positive start to the match and before the goal, Msakni had struck the upright after Tanzanian goalkeeper Aishi Manula came off his line.

    But he failed to pick the ball, gifting the Tunisian skipper with a golden chance.

    The North Africans continued running rings around their hosts and controlled massive possession.

    Wahbi Khazri came close in the 21st minute but his snap shot from inside the box was wide.

    In the 24th minute, Khaoui came close to doubling his and the team’s tally but his brilliant shot off a cheeky Khazri backheel pass rattled the crossbar.

    The Tanzanians made an early change, Salum coming on for Himid Mao, a change geared to improve the Taifa Stars’ creativity in midfield.

    The home side came from the breather like a new team and it only took them two minutes to get to level terms.

    A cross from Nchimbi on the right was chested down by John Bocco with Salum striking a first-time effort that flew into the net from range.

    Tanzania kept pushing and had another chance in the 53rd minute, Nchimbi’s header from a corner-kick bouncing just wide.

    Tanzania’s fight was almost nipped in the bud when Khaoui broke into the box from a Msakni pass.

    But he could not connect with his shot well, with goalkeeper Manula making a save.

    The home side continued their fight and with a quarter of an hour left came close, but were denied by Ben Mustapha who tipped over Msuva’s curling effort for a corner-kick.

    The Tunisians finished the game on a high, and had a chance with two minutes left on the clock but Msakni’s shot from a tight angle was saved by Manula much to the relief of the Tanzanians.

    In Windhoek, Mali went top of Group A and booked a ticket to Cameroon after a 2-1 win over hosts Namibia.

    Sekou Koita and Moussa Doumbia scored the goals for Mali while Namibia’s consolation was scored by Elmo Kambindu.

    The victory takes the Malians top of the table with 10 points, two ahead of Guinea who dropped to second.

    Namibia remain third with just three points off one victory.

    The visitors were the dominant side in the opening half and deservedly went into the break 2-1 up.

    Koita had given them the lead after 12 minutes with a brilliant left foot shot from the edge of the area after being teed up by Alliou Dieng.

    The Malian Eagles were enjoying themselves, passing the ball around the park with utmost ease, but often failed to make the possession count for goals.

    But, they were 2-0 up 37 minutes in when Doumbia doubled the lead with a well-taken goal, beating the goalkeeper at his near-post after some swift step-overs took him beyond Larry Horaeb on the left to break into the box.

    But the two-goal cushion lasted just two minutes, with the Namibians halving the deficit through Kambindu who rose highest at the back-post to head in beyond the goalkeeper from a free-kick.

    In the second half, Mali were still in control and should have sealed the victory in the 58th minute, but El Bilal Toure saw his penalty kick saved by the goalkeeper.

    Namibia piled on the pressure in the final half hour of the game, but could not get anything to lift them off the ground.

  • Nigeria v Tunisia: Iheanacho ends goal drought as Eagles play 1-1 draw

    Nigeria v Tunisia: Iheanacho ends goal drought as Eagles play 1-1 draw

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria put up an impressive performance on Tuesday night, following their 1-1 draw with the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.

    Kelechi Iheanacho ended his three-year goal drought when he wriggled his way out of the Tunisian defence before slotting past Ben Mustapha in goal to give Nigeria the lead; 1-0.

    The North Africans restored parity in style after Kenneth Omeruo was beaten in the danger area before the ball was squared to Mohamed Draeger who found the roof of the net leaving goalkeeper Maduka Okoye hapless in goal.

    There was little to choose between two squads of Eagles from the African continent even as Coach Gernot Rohr handed first caps to two more players – Cyril Dessers and Chidera Ejuke.

    This meant Nigeria has handed caps to a total of six players in these two friendly games, after Zaidu Sanusi, Frank Onyeka, Kevin Akpoguma and Samson Tijani took theirs against Algeria on Friday.

    Captain Ahmed Musa started a game for the first time in a long time – one of five changes that Rohr made to the team that started against the African champions in Klagenfurt on Friday.

    Kenneth Omeruo was back at the heart of the defence and Moses Simon took the place of Samuel Kalu, while Kevin Akpoguma took over at right back consigning Tyronne Ebuehi to the bench.

    The changes, aligned with the striped white jersey as against the darkish green against Algeria, made the Eagles look brighter on the turn against a well –organised Tunisian side that had plenty of guile, skill and steel.

    Their steel earned them two yellow cards within the first 12 minutes, and after being appropriately inducted, the Super Eagles decided to add some steel to their own game.

    England –based Iheanacho took the marksman’s role from gangling Paul Onuachu.

    After two misdirected shots by Samuel Chukwueze and Zaidu Sanusi, the former U-17 World Cup winner showed his team mates how to finish in front of goal.

    This was after he held the ball well inside the box, against Dylane Bronn, before firing past goalkeeper Ben Farouk to put Nigeria in the lead in the 21st minute for the first time in the tour.

    Captain Youssef Msakni, Wabil Khazri, Issama Haddadi and Mohamed Drajer posed all sorts of problems for the Nigerian defence with their pace, trickery and telepathy.

    Yet, the North Africans would have been two goals down on the half hour.

    Iheanacho, granted the opportunity to score his 10th international goal, saw his tame shot from the penalty spot saved by Farouk after the goalkeeper had brought down Ahmed Musa.

    As the clock closed in on the first period, Drajer saw his shot from a corner fly away, a sweet move by Simon and Iheanacho was decoded by an alert rearguard of the Carthage Eagles and Okoye saved from Khazri.

    But there was still time for a twist, as the effervescent Hamza Rafia ghosted past Omeruo on the line and gifted Drajer to hammer into the net for Tunisia’s equaliser.

    The second half was no less interesting. Iheanacho rose to meet the ball from a corner but headed narrowly over, and at the other end, Drajer side-netted.

    Musa, on his 93rd senior cap for Nigeria, looked good to put Nigeria ahead in the 67th minute but he lacked the pace to meet up with a good pass from Iheanacho.

    Both teams showed grit and intent, with some eye-catching touches, good marking, adroit use of space and some individual brilliance.

    On the dot of time, the Carthage Eagles came quite close to nicking it, but Okoye, winning only his third cap for Nigeria, was alert enough to tip over the bar a tricky lob by Naim Sliti.

    Next up for the Super Eagles is a quickfire home-and-away Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying fixture against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, between Nov. 9 and 17.

  • Super Eagles must step up against Tunisia – Rohr

    Super Eagles must step up against Tunisia – Rohr

    Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has urged the team to step up their game when they meet Tunisia in a friendly on Tuesday.

    Nigeria lost 1-0 against Algeria on Friday in another build-up game which left many fans frustrated at the performance of the team.

    The defeat also ended the fine form of the three-time African champions, who had been unbeaten in their previous five games.

    Rohr has charged the players available to improve their effort against the Carthage Eagles and secure a positive result in the match.

    “We definitely must put up a greater effort against the Tunisians,” Rohr told the media.

    “It is an opportunity for some of the players to rise up to the occasion, stake a claim. They are ready to go and I believe we would see a much better game on Tuesday.”

  • Tunisian President orders general self-isolation

    Tunisian President orders general self-isolation

    Tunisian President, Kais Saied, on Friday professed a nationwide, round-the-clock self-isolation of residents to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, after an increase in confirmed cases.

    The start date and execution of the self-isolation will be specified by the government later on Friday, the presidency told AFP.

    During the day, everyone should stay home and only go out in cases of “extreme necessity”, Saied said in a televised address.

    Tunisia has so far reported 54 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 disease and one death.

    The North African country has already closed its borders and imposed a curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (1700-0500 GMT) in an effort to stave off the epidemic sweeping the globe.

    Movement between regions has also been banned except for cases with a “legitimate reason”, the president said.

    Supermarkets will be closed but shops and convenience stores will be supplied, he added.

    Saied also proclaimed the closure of industrial areas with large numbers of employees.