The Tunisian Team may have resorted to trickery ahead their Round 16 match with the Super Eagles tomorrow.
In a press conference on Saturday, the team announced that twelve of its players and the head coach, Mondher Kebaier, will miss the match after testing positive for COVID-19.
Many Nigerian fans have expressed hope that the Super Eagles will not fall for the suspicious announcement which they see as a ruse to catch the Nigerian team “pants down”.
Kebaier was absent during the pre-match press conference at the media centre of the Roumdje Adjia Stadium, Garoua.
Jalal Al-Qadri, Tunisia’s assistant coach, who addressed journalists during the press conference, said Wahbi Khazri, captain of the Carthage Eagles, and eleven others had contracted COVID-19 and would not be available for the game.
The other eleven players are Aissa Laidouni, Dylan Bronn, Ghaylène Chaalali, Ellyes Skhiri, Anis Ben Slimane, Mohamed Romdhane, Ali Maâloul, Ben Hmida, Aymen Dahmen Yoann Touzgha and Issam Jebali.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper, Farouk Ben Mustapha, is suspended for the game.
Tunisia qualified for the Round of 16 after finishing as one of the four best losers in the group stage.
They won their first game 4-0 against Mauritania but lost their remaining two matches.
The Carthage Eagles last met the Nigerian side during the third-place game at the 2019 AFCON in Cairo, Egypt.
Nigerian fans have expressed hope that the Super Eagles will not scale down their preparations because of the suspicious announcement .
