Top striker Taiwo Awoniyi from the Bundesliga soccer club Union Berlin surprisingly failed with Nigeria in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The Super Eagles lost 0-1 (0-0) against Tunisia on Sunday evening. The 2004 winners meet Burkina Faso, who defeated Gabon 7-6 on penalties, in the round of eight.
Youssef Msakni scored the decisive goal for the Tunisians in the 47th minute. In the goal of co-favorite Nigeria, where the hapless Awoniyi was substituted after just the hour, Maduka Okoye blundered the goal badly.
A little later, Everton professional Alex Iwobi saw the red card for gross foul play (64th).
Before that, Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) reached the quarter-finals with Burkina Faso. Burkinabe kept their nerve in the penalty shootout. It was 1-1 after 90 minutes after Gabon’s Adama Guira equalized Bertrand Traore’s (28′) lead in the first minute of added time.