Nigeria vs Tunisia: 15 facts about Africa's most dramatic rivalry ahead AFCON 2025 clash

Nigeria's Super Eagles and Tunisia collide in Fez this Saturday night in what promises to be the Group C decider at AFCON 2025.

Both teams won their openers, both are eyeing the Round of 16, and both carry the weight of one of African football's most compelling rivalries.

Here are 15 things you absolutely need to know before kick-off at 9:00 PM local time (8:00 PM GMT).

Nigeria and Tunisia first locked horns on the continent in 1961 during qualifiers for the 1962 AFCON. Nigeria won the home leg 2-1, but things went sideways in Tunis.

With the return match tied at 2-2, Nigeria walked off the pitch in protest. Tunisia were awarded a 2-0 win and advanced 3-2 on aggregate. Chaos from day one.

Across all competitions, the head-to-head record reads: Tunisia 6 wins, Nigeria 5 wins, and 10 draws.

That's how evenly matched these two sides are. No one dominates. No one backs down.

In six AFCON meetings, West African giants Nigeria have won three times to Tunisia's one.

But here's the twist, two of those matches ended as draws and went to penalty shootouts, with each side winning one. Drama is guaranteed.

In 2021, Tunisia eliminated the Super Eagles 1-0 in the Round of 16 thanks to a Youssef Msakni goal.

That loss still stings in Nigerian football circles, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has not recovered from it, and revenge will be on the menu in Fez.

Sound familiar? Nigeria were awarded a 2-0 victory after Tunisia abandoned the match with the score tied at 1-1.

It's become a pattern in this rivalry between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and their Tunisian counterparts - walk-offs, protests, and controversy.

In 2004, Tunisia won 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the semi-finals between the Eagles.

Two years later in 2006, Nigeria got revenge, winning 6-5 on spot-kicks in the quarter-finals. Both times, it was 1-1 after regulation. Expect nerves of steel on Saturday.

The Super Eagles haven't lost a group-stage match since 2019, when Madagascar stunned them 2-0.

Since then, they've won six and drawn one. That's the kind of form that breeds confidence.

Before beating Uganda 3-1 in their opener, Tunisia hadn't won in four AFCON matches.

That 2021 victory over Nigeria? Their last win before this tournament. They've now rediscovered their mojo at the perfect time.

Lookman's stunning winner was his fourth AFCON goal and made him the first Nigerian to score from outside the box at the tournament since Emmanuel Emenike in 2013. He's the man in form.

Nigerians and Super Eagles followers across the world will not mind another one from the Atalanta man on Saturday.

Ellyes Skhiri's opener against Uganda was historic, it was Tunisia's 100th goal in AFCON history, making them only the sixth nation to reach the milestone.

They're in elite company, which includes Nigeria’s Super Eagles, who reached an incredible 148 goals with that double against Tanzania.

The Tunisian winger scored twice against Uganda, becoming the first Tunisian to bag a brace at AFCON since Wahbi Khazri in 2021.

His pace and directness will test Nigeria's backline all night long, but Eric Chelle appears to have a plan.

That's the most by a Nigerian player in an AFCON match since 2010. When Osimhen is in that kind of mood, defences crumble.

The Eagles of Carthage and Tunisia will need to be on high alert to stop the Galatasaray man.

Iwobi registered two assists against Tanzania, his first at AFCON in 19 appearances.

He's also created 18 chances at the tournament overall and completed 71 passes against Tanzania alongside Calvin Bassey. He's dictating play.

They've won three and drawn two in their second AFCON group fixtures since 2013.

The last time they lost? A 3-0 hammering by Côte d'Ivoire. They know how to handle the pressure.

The Super Eagles last opened with back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2019. Do it again on Saturday, and they'll all but guarantee a spot in the knockout rounds. The momentum is building.

The stage is set. The history is loaded. And on Saturday night in Fez, one of African football's greatest rivalries writes its next chapter.