Wilfred Ndidi believes the painful memory of Nigeria’s shock exit at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations can serve as fuel rather than fear as the Super Eagles prepare to face Tunisia at AFCON 2025.
The two sides meet again on Saturday, December 27 (20:00 GMT), four years after Tunisia stunned a heavily fancied Nigeria side 1-0 in the Round of 16, despite the Super Eagles cruising through the group stage with three wins.
Speaking ahead of the clash, the Nigerian captain admitted the defeat still lingers but insists the focus is firmly on the present.
“It was a painful loss in 2021,” Ndidi said at a press conference. “We don’t want to think about what happened. We just want to face this one because it is a new team, with a good group of players.”
While keen not to dwell on the past, the Leicester City midfielder acknowledged that the memory remains a powerful motivator within the camp.
“It gives us more confidence and more motivation,” he added. “We talk about it and it’s not going to happen twice, hopefully.”
Both nations head into the encounter with momentum after winning their opening group games. Nigeria edged Tanzania 2-1, while Tunisia produced a convincing 3-1 victory over Uganda to underline their credentials.
Saturday’s showdown sets up a familiar narrative: Nigeria chasing redemption and Tunisia eager to prove their 2021 triumph was no accident.
