Wilfred Ndidi has channelled the sting of a past AFCON defeat into a determined vow for revenge as Nigeria prepares to face Tunisia in a high-stakes 2025 group stage clash.
The Nigerian captain pointed directly to the Super Eagles' shocking 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the 2021 tournament's Round of 16 as the driving force behind Saturday's mission. Despite being heavy favourites in 2021 after a perfect group stage, Nigeria was eliminated by a Youssef Msakni goal.
Speaking ahead of the December 27 rematch (20:00 GMT), Ndidi made it clear that the team is fuelled by the desire to settle the score. "It gives us more confidence and more motivation," Ndidi stated. "We talk about it and it’s not going to happen twice, hopefully."
While acknowledging the pain of the past—"It was a painful loss in 2021"—the captain emphasised the team's focused mindset. "We just want to face this one because it is a new team [with a] good players group."
Both teams enter the encounter with winning momentum. Nigeria opened their 2025 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania, while Tunisia secured a convincing 3-1 win against Uganda, setting the stage for a tense and highly anticipated showdown.
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