‘We had too much respect for Nigeria’ — Vanquished Tunisian expresses regret after Super Eagles defeat

Tunisia defender Yan Valery has reflected on his side’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, admitting key mistakes in their approach to the contest.

The Sheffield Wednesday right-back also outlined the lessons learned and Tunisia’s mindset heading into the remainder of the tournament.

Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the pulsating encounter, Yan Valery openly acknowledged that Tunisia showed Nigeria too much respect, particularly in the early stages of the match.

The Carthage Eagles struggled to impose themselves physically and tactically, allowing the Super Eagles to capitalise on their hesitancy and control key moments of the game.

“We had too much respect for Nigeria. I think especially in the first half we're not aggressive enough in the duels first and second balls,” Valery admitted, highlighting how Tunisia failed to match Nigeria’s intensity.

He explained that against a team packed with quality and experience, any lack of aggression is quickly exposed. “And when you do this against a good players like this then get you get punished straight away,” he added, underlining how costly their cautious approach proved to be.

Despite a much-improved second-half display, Valery stressed that Tunisia must learn to maintain that level for the full 90 minutes if they are to compete effectively at this level.

The defender emphasised that the defeat, while painful, offers valuable lessons that the team must absorb quickly. “So that's what we gain from this game and now we need to learn from it and quickly react for the next game,” he said.

Beyond the tactical shortcomings, Valery also spoke passionately about the pride of representing Tunisia on Africa’s biggest football stage.

He praised the quality within the squad and insisted that belief and unity would be vital as the Carthage Eagles look to recover from the setback and keep their AFCON hopes alive.

“I'm proud of it. like I said, we have a good team, good players, and we showed in the second half, but now we need to do in 90 minutes,” Valery noted, pointing to the importance of consistency.

He also called for togetherness within the group, stressing the mental strength required to bounce back. “I want the team to still like stay together and believe in ourselves,” he said, expressing confidence that Tunisia can respond positively.

Looking ahead to their decisive final group game, Valery explained that Tunisia are sticking to a calm, step-by-step approach. “Like we said at the start of the competition, we go game by game because you don't have to see too far. Try to win every game and then inshallah we go as far as we can go.”

Tunisia now turn their attention to Tuesday’s crucial clash against Tanzania, where a victory is essential if the Carthage Eagles are to secure progression to the knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.