Nigeria Defence Under Fire After Tunisia Scare – Reportersroom Exclusive

By: Abudu Olalekan

Saturday’s nail‑biter at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco should’ve been a celebration. Nigeria’s Super Eagles clinched a 3‑2 win over Tunisia. They booked their spot in the round of 16. But nobody’s cheering.

Let’s be honest — the victory felt… shaky.

Nigeria flew out of the gates. Victor Osimhen headed in early. Wilfried Ndidi smashed one home. Ademola Lookman curled a beauty into the net. 3‑0! Game clinched? You’d think so. Fans were already drafting victory tweets.

Then… disaster.

Tunisia, written off, roared back. Two goals in the final ten minutes. Panic. Chaos. Hearts in mouths. The Eagles’ defence — once again — looked like a house of cards in a hurricane.

And boy, did fans let them have it.

Social media exploded. Not with joy. With rage.

Opta Nigeria summed it up bluntly on X: “The Super Eagles of Nigeria have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 5 consecutive matches. They’ve conceded in each of their last 4 AFCON games (today inclusive).”

Oof.

Supporters didn’t hold back. OluDee (@Dare4xploits) fired off: “Defence is the Achilles heel of this team! Same reason they’ll watch the World Cup on TV. They CANNOT win AFCON. One little attack — poof! Defence crumbles like stale biscuits.”

He wasn’t alone.

Obi (@K3L3CHII) wrote, “Super Eagles defence? Terrible. Slow. Can’t make quick decisions. Seriously poor.”

And everyone had thoughts on goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

BöD£ (@buddie_LXG) offered a mixed review: “Best Eagles squad I’ve seen in years! Attack? Brilliant. But conceding two? Unnecessary! That penalty? Never a pen. Nwabali though… yikes. Can’t catch a cross to save his life. We NEED a new GK.”

Deco (@Tr0ubleXela) pinpointed the turning point: “We were bossing the game! Then Nwabali fumbled a cross… and Tunisia smelled blood. Pressure mounted. Game changed right there.”

Anthony Abakporo (@anthonyabakporo) questioned the penalty call but added: “Defence needs serious work. Osimhen should’ve fought for his goal like Tunisia fought for theirs — but protesting refs isn’t the answer.”

Even those trying to stay positive sounded worried. WorlleysoLA (@TejustPatrick) insisted: “Team’s improved! But with Nwabali as number one? They won’t lift any trophy. Fact: great keepers win tournaments.”

Ìmọlẹ (@Itansanimoleayo) echoed the mood: “Conceding TWO after scoring THREE? Worrying! Scoring hasn’t been the issue — the defence is.”

The pattern’s clear. Attack? Sharp. Midfield? Solid. Defence? A ticking time‑bomb.

Now, Nigeria faces Uganda on Tuesday (5 pm). Another test. Another chance for the backline to prove the critics wrong. Can the Eagles’ firepower keep masking those defensive howlers?

We shall see.

But one thing’s certain — until the defence sorts itself out, every win will feel like an escape. Not a triumph.