AFCON 2025: 'We were lucky against Tanzania' — Yakubu Aiyegbeni warns Super Eagles

Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has warned Nigeria of a tough battle against Tunisia at the AFCON 2025, admitting the team was fortunate to beat Tanzania in their opening match.

Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has cautioned the Nigerian national team to brace for a stern challenge when they face Tunisia in their next 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group C fixture.

Nigeria will take on the North African giants on Saturday night in what is expected to be a decisive encounter for group supremacy. Both teams head into the clash with three points each, following opening victories earlier in the week.

The Super Eagles began their AFCON campaign with a 2–1 win over Tanzania, while Tunisia produced an impressive performance to defeat Uganda 3–1, a result that places the Carthage Eagles top of the group on goal difference.

What Yakubu said

Speaking on Nigeria’s opening match, Yakubu admitted that the Super Eagles were far from convincing and could have dropped points.

“When you look at the Tanzania game, they had chances to kill the game, and we were lucky to get away with it,” Yakubu said.

The former Everton and Portsmouth striker stressed that Tunisia will pose a far greater threat if Nigeria fails to improve defensively and tactically.

He added, “Against Tunisia, it’s not going to be easy. They are organised, disciplined, and very experienced at this level. It’s going to be a tough one.”

Tunisia currently sit at the top of Group C due to their superior goal difference, with Nigeria closely behind. A win for either side on Saturday could all but secure qualification to the knockout stages and potentially determine who finishes as group winners.

The highly anticipated clash between Nigeria and Tunisia is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 PM Nigerian time.