Jay Jay Okocha has revealed that Tunisia was simply too good against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the round of 16 game played yesterday.
Youssef Msakni scored two minutes into the second half to earn Tunisia a 1-0 second-round victory over 10-man Nigeria in Garoua.
Nigerian dreams of tying the game were dashed midway through the second half when Alex Iwobi, who had been yellow-carded for a stamp on Msakni, was sent off after the referee checked the VAR monitor.
Msakni, who was participating in his sixth Cup of Nations competition, dribbled around the outside of the box before unleashing a curling shot that deflected off goalkeeper Maduka Okoye's left arm.
With 15 minutes remaining, substitute Naim Sliti almost doubled Tunisia's advantage when he blasted a shot into the corner of the net, only to be denied by Okoye's stunning two-hand save.
“They (Tunisia) executed their tactics well. This is a disappointing loss. They outclassed Nigeria. I have always said that you are as good as your next game. This is a lesson for every big team,” he said.
The Nigeria football legend had earlier stated that the game against Tunisia will be a tough one for Nigeria after their fantastic record in the group stage.
“I think it is good to see that we are flying high, but the most important one is the next game and we can only justify our performances so far if we go on and win the next one,” Okocha told Supersport.
“So every next game is the toughest one for you and the one you have to win. I hope we will carry on the good job that we are doing so far,” he concluded.