Nigeria knocks out Tunisia to take 3rd Place at #AFCON2019

Talented Nigerian footballer Odion Ighalo scored the only goal of the game between Tunisia and Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2019 third place match at the Al-Salam Stadium in Egypt.

The 3rd minute goal was enough to hand the Super Eagles the bronze medal of the tournament.

Perhaps there is a deeper psychology, beyond the obvious, to Nigeria’s excellence in third-place playoff matches at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Never before has a Nigerian team lost this particular fixture at the Afcon. Eight matches, eight wins; that’s more than total final appearances – seven – out of which only three were won. For some reason, when no one can be bothered anymore, Nigeria show up.

One might say, of course, that it is precisely the ability to put on game faces when the pressure is off that means Nigeria has a losing record in finals. Or that, less depressingly, considering teams usually have a degree of rotation for third-place matches, it is indicative of depth.

Ighalo’s night ended prematurely on a sour note, however, as he was withdrawn at half-time by Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr due to a hamstring problem.

Ferjani Sassi and Ghailene Chaalali both missed good opportunties for Tunisia.

Three-time champions Nigeria have now finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations on eight separate occasions.