Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi sees positives despite loss to Nigeria

The Carthage Eagles, who opened the tournament with a 3-1 win over Uganda, fell to a late challenge from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman.

Tunisia's goals from Montassar Omar Talbi and Ali El Abdi were not enough to salvage a result, marking only their second defeat in 12 Africa Cup of Nations matches.

Trabelsi, however, praised his players for their high-level performance during the final stages of the game.

"Of course, there is disappointment after the match and the defeat. But in the final 30 minutes, the players performed very well, created multiple chances, scored two goals, and could have scored more," he told the CAF website.

He stressed that the result showed Tunisia are capable of challenging top sides.

"The defeat hurts, but it also demonstrates that we can compete with any opponent when we impose our style and control possession," Trabelsi said.

He explained that his team approached the match with balance to counter Nigeria's fast and powerful attackers, but conceded that missed chances and lost duels ultimately cost them.

"In the first half, we had several opportunities we should have converted. The goals we conceded came from crosses, not excessive caution," he added.

"Once we started winning attacking duels, we were much better and put Nigeria under pressure. The last 35 minutes showed our dominance, and the final result could have been different."

Following the defeat, Tunisia sits second in Group C with three points from two matches. Their next challenge is against Tanzania on Tuesday at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, where a win will be crucial to secure qualification to the Round of 16.