Nigeria exited the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament following a 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the Last 16 on Sunday night at Roumde Adjia Stadium in Cameroon.
Youssef Msakni scored a second half strike that helped the Carthage Eagles to set up a date against Burkina Faso on Saturday.
The Super Eagles started positively with some swift interplay between Ola Aina and Wilfred Ndidi which resulted in them playing Joe Ayodele-Aribo into space inside the box, but he fired over from 14-yards out.
The game fell into a bit of a lull after that with both teams squandering possession due to poor passing in the final third.
Tunisia had the next decent effort on goal when Anis Ben Slimani met a cross from Eliyes Skhiri but the former saw his shot from just inside the box go inches over the crossbar.
Neither side could find a goal before the break and entered the half time break locked at 0-0.
The second half started off with Tunisia taking the lead after some swift passing saw Youssef Msakni in space outside the box and he made no mistake with a powerful shot, 1-0.
Nigeria were reduced to ten men on the hour mark after substitute Alex Iwobi was shown a straight red cord after a foul on a Tunisian player.
However, Moses Simon came close to equalizing for Nigeria in the 67th minute but the winger’s deflected effort went just wide of the right-hand post.
Umar Sadiq tried his luck from range in the 81st minute but Bechir Ben Said did well to deny the Super Eagles’ striker.
Nigeria threw numbers forward in the closing stages of the match but the Tunisia defence held firm to pick up the win and move to the quarter-finals of the competitition.
How they lined-up:
Nigeria: Maduka Okoye – Ola Aina, Kenneth Omeruo, William Ekong, Zaidu Sanusi – Wilfred Ndidi, Joe Aribo, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon – Kelechi Iheanachi (Alex Iwobi 59), Taiwo Awoniyi (Peter Olayinka 60)
Tunisia : Bechir Ben Said – Mohamed Drager, Bilel Ifa, Montsser Talbi, Ousama Haddadi, Anis Ben Slimani, Eliyes Skhiri, Aissa Laidouni – Youssef Msakni, Hamza Rafia (Naim Sliti 69), Seifeddin Jaziri
