Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has admitted he endured agonising moments on the touchline as the Super Eagles nearly squandered a commanding lead in their 3-2 victory over Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria were cruising at 3-0 midway through the second half of Saturday’s Group C encounter in Fes, only to be dragged into a tense finale by a late Tunisian fightback that tested Chelle’s nerves and resolve.
The Malian coach, tasked with getting Nigeria to the semifinal of the AFCON 2025, watched his side dismantle one of Africa’s most disciplined defensive teams. Unbeaten Tunisia did not concede a single goal in 10 World Cup qualifying matches.
But fatigue, a controversial VAR-awarded penalty and a costly goalkeeping lapse combined to transform a routine evening into a frantic finish.
“Those final 15 or so minutes will give me nightmares,” Chelle told RFI as per Yahoo Sports. “I was going a little bit crazy about what was happening because the players deserved a big game.
“And it was a test against a big team like Tunisia.”
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Nigeria: Dominance, then disorder, as Tunisia threaten comeback
Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman had all scored as Nigeria surged into a three-goal lead at the Stade de Fes, before Tunisia clawed their way back late on.
Slack marking from a free-kick allowed Montassar Talbi to head in Tunisia’s first goal after 74 minutes, before Ali Abdi converted from the spot on 87 minutes to spark anxiety among the Nigerian bench and supporters.
Despite the wobble, Nigeria held firm through seven minutes of stoppage time to secure the three points, confirm qualification for the last 16 and seal top spot in Group C.
Chelle was keen to point at the positives of his side’s performance, particularly given Tunisia’s defensive record coming into the tournament.
“Tunisia didn’t let in one goal during the World Cup qualifiers,” Chelle said. “Three goals against this team! This is for me a great game. We kept the ball so well during 70 or so minutes.”
The former Mali international acknowledged that Tunisia’s late revival exposed areas still needing work.
“We still have to play a game that will bring the confidence and show our ambitions,” Chelle insisted.
“There’s positives in Tunisia’s comeback. “It shows that there is still something for us to work on and something to improve. It will keep me and my players motivated.”
Nigeria will face Uganda in their final group game on Tuesday, while Tunisia must regroup quickly against Tanzania as they attempt to revive their tournament hopes.