The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia failed to break the jinx of losing their first match in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), now stretching to five matches, with another defeat to the tournament's underdog, Namibia, on Tuesday.
On record, Tunisia has lost three of its opening fixtures in the last AFCON and drew two matches without a win.
The Brave Warriors of Namibia displayed unusual bravery against the sloppy Carthage Eagles at the Ahmadou Coulibaly Stadium in Ivory Coast, securing a shocking 1-0 win in the Group E encounter.
The result marks Namibia's first-ever victory at any AFCON tournament, surprising football pundits who expected the former Continental champions to dominate.
Orlando Pirates playmaker Deon Hotto, who had earlier missed many chances, scored from a precise pass in the 88th minute, securing three points for Namibia.
The result poses a grave danger to Tunisia, as Mali also defeated South Africa, leaving them with three points alongside Namibia.
Tunisia will face Mali on Saturday, January 20, in a must-win match before meeting another formidable team in South Africa in their last group match. South Africa will face Namibia, the new giant killers, on Sunday, January 21, at 9 pm.
Namibia had more shots on goal (13-10) than Tunisia, with 6-4 on target. Tunisia dominated ball possession (61-39%) but was frustrated by Namibia's resilient defense. Tunisia completed 446-273 passes with 76-70% accuracy, indicating that Namibia allowed them to play the ball but prevented conceding a goal.
Namibia's Brave Warriors, ranked 115th in the world, are making their fourth appearance in the tournament. The team has never won a match at the finals in their appearances in 1998, 2008, and 2019, but this year they aim to make an impact.
The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, ranked 28th in the world, are making their 22nd appearance, with a title achieved in 2014.
ADD A COMMENT :