When the FIFA World Cup expanded from 32 teams to 48 prior to the 2026 edition, Africa went from five automatic bids to nine. The expansion seemed to ensure that Nigeria, one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, would qualify after missing out on away goals in 2022. The Super Eagles qualified for six of the seven tournaments played between 1994 and 2018, when there were between three and five African spots available. But despite a golden generation of attackers, Nigeria failed, losing to DR Congo on a penalty shootout for an intercontinental playoff spot for which it surely would’ve been heavily favored.
Now, the Super Eagles have set their sights on a consolation prize: the Africa Cup of Nations, which is currently being played in Morocco. The three-time continental champions and 2023 runners-up will play their second game of Group C play against 2004 winner and 2026 World Cup participant Tunisia. The game will begin at 3 p.m. ET (9 p.m. local) in Fès.
Nigeria is a +145 favorite to win at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the Eagles of Carthage are +230. There are +195 odds that the teams will draw.
Nigeria vs. Tunisia prediction, pick
Tunisia currently leads Group C on goal difference after managing a 3-1 win over Uganda, though the match was closer than the final score would indicate, given that the Cranes only put one of their nine shots on target. That the ultimate result was comfortable was not a surprise: Uganda ranks just 85th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, 44 places below the Eagles of Carthage. The Super Eagles, ranked 38th, had an easier matchup against No. 112 Tanzania and allowed the Taifa Stars to equalize before Ademola Lookman slotted home the winner. Either way, winning its opening match was critical for both teams, as the top four third-place teams will qualify for the knockout rounds. In each of the previous iterations of the tournament with the current format, three points was sufficient to advance.
Nigeria’s chances to win the tournament hinge on its attack. Lookman, who netted a hat trick in Atalanta’s Europa League triumph in 2024, isn’t even the best striker on the Super Eagles. That honor belongs to Victor Osimhen, who helped Galatasaray to the Turkish Süper Lig title in 2024-25 and has his club in first place again this season. Osimhen is tied as the second-most valuable player in the tournament, behind only Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and in Nigeria’s failed qualification campaign, he netted eight goals in seven matches, tied for the third-most of any player in the tournament. However, he was controversially substituted off at halftime of the Super Eagles’ loss to DR Congo in the continent’s playoff final, which Nigeria went on to lose. The Super Eagles arguably have the strongest strike partnership in the competition on paper and are backed up by talented midfielders like Fulham duo Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, but their defense is an issue, keeping only three clean sheets in 10 World Cup qualifying matches. Lookman has also had a difficult season for both club and country.
Tunisia, meanwhile, was nothing short of spectacular in the World Cup qualification campaign. The Eagles of Carthage were blessed with an extremely easy group in which the second-best nation was 97th-ranked Equatorial Guinea, and they took advantage, becoming the first nation ever to qualify for a World Cup without conceding a single goal in the process. Five different players scored at least twice, led by Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane’s four, and that list didn’t include FC Copenhagen left winger Elias Achouri, who recorded a brace against the Cranes. Tunisia also has plenty of veteran leadership in the back, as each member of its back line is among the best tacklers in his respective European league, and with how sturdy the back line is, it’ll be able to protect goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, the only starter who plays domestically within the country.
On paper, this should be a fairly even match, given how near to each other the teams are in the World Rankings, and while Nigeria started to find its form towards the end of the qualification campaign and has consistently performed well in AFCON, the Eagles of Carthage have a rock-solid defense and should be more accustomed to playing in arid Maghrebi conditions. Given the friendly odds, picking Tunisia to make a statement here seems like a no-brainer.
