AFCON: Tunisia sends Nigeria packing, sets up quarterfinal clash with Burkina Faso

Tunisia
scraped
through
the
group
stage
and
were
without
head
coach
Mondher
Kebaier
and
a
number
of
players
for
the
last-16
clash
on
Sunday
(January
23)
after
an
outbreak
of
COVID-19
in
their
camp.

However,
they
still
managed
to
book
a
quarterfinal
date
with
Burkina
Faso,
who
overcame
Gabon
7-6
on
penalties
earlier
in
the
day.

AFCON
road
trip
helps
Nigerian
refugees
believe
in
dreams

The
game
at
Limbe
Stadium,
Cameroon,
was
won
up
just
63sec
into
the
second-half
when
Youssef
Msakni
was
given
all
the
time
and
space
he
could
ask
for
as
he
took
aim
from
25
yards.

Montassar
Talbi
had
the
only
shot
on
target
in
a
dour
first
half
in
Garoua,
but
Msakni’s
low
drive
skidded
off
the
turf
and
into
the
top-right
corner
off
Maduka
Okoye’s
glove.

Nigeria
were
reduced
to
10
men
in
the
66th
minute
when
substitute
Alex
Iwobi
–
who
had
only
been
on
the
pitch
for
seven
minutes
–
had
a
booking
upgraded
to
a
straight
red
card
after
referee
Maguette
Ndiaye
reviewed
video
footage
of
his
tackle
on
Msakni

The
Super
Eagles
upped
their
game
as
they
chased
an
equaliser,
but
Moses
Simon
was
unable
to
beat
Bechir
Ben
Said
and
Umar
Sadiq
missed
the
target
in
stoppage
time
as
they
exited
the
tournament.

Following
the
sending
off,
the
Super
Eagles
went
close
through
Samuel
Chukwueze,
Moses
Simon
and
Sadiq
Umar
–
but
their
efforts
failed
to
pay
off.

For
a
side
that
won
all
three
of
their
group
games
and
even
rested
the
majority
of
their
stars
for
their
previous
match,
tournament
favourites
Nigeria
looked
out
of
ideas
in
the
face
of
some
heroic
defending.

Earlier,
Ismahila
Ouedraogo
scored
the
winning
spot-kick
as
Burkina
Faso
beat
10-man
Gabon
7-6
on
penalties
at
Roumde
Adija
Stadium
in
Garoua
(Cameroon)
after
a
1-1
draw
to
advance
to
the
quarterfinals.

A
tight
game
was
sent
to
extra
time
after
a
dramatic
late
equaliser
from
the
Panthers,
and
an
even
more
tense
shoot-out
was
ultimately
decided
by
the
22-year-old
Ouedraogo.

There
had
been
a
penalty
in
normal
time
after
Issa
Kabore
was
brought
down
by
Sidney
Obissa
in
the
14th
minute,
only
for
Bertrand
Traore
to
slam
his
effort
against
the
crossbar.

The
Aston
Villa
man
was
not
to
be
denied
10
minutes
later
when
he
ran
on
to
a
through
ball
from
Hassane
Bande
and
slotted
in
off
the
post
past
the
onrushing
Jean
Noel
Amonome.

Gabon
thought
they
were
level
four
minutes
before
half-time
as
a
long
ball
from
skipper
Bruno
Ecuele
Manga
found
Aaron-Salem
Boupendza,
who
cut
inside
and
finished
well
but
was
ruled
to
be
offside.

Obissa
received
his
marching
orders
in
the
67th
minute
after
picking
up
a
second
yellow
card,
but
Gabon
still
forced
extra
time
as
a
91st
minute
corner
was
headed
in
by
Ecuele
Manga,
though
went
down
as
an
Adama
Guira
own
goal
after
diverting
in
off
the
Burkinabe
midfielder.

An
extra
30
minutes
could
not
separate
the
sides
and
so
the
game
went
to
penalties,
with
both
teams
scoring
six
of
their
first
eight
attempts.

After
Lloyd
Palun
hit
Gabon’s
ninth
penalty
against
the
bar,
Ismahila
Ouedraogo
finally
ended
things
by
sending
Amonome
the
wrong
way,
booking
the
Stallions’ quarterfinal
place
against
Tunisia