Tunisia and the Cranes of Uganda will face off on Tuesday as they open their Group C campaigns at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, locking horns at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympique Annex in Rabat at 9:00 pm.
It will be their third AFCON meeting, and history favours Tunisia. The Carthage Eagles beat Uganda 3–0 in the third-place play-off in 1962, when both nations were tournament debutants before recording a 3–1 group-stage win at the 1978 finals. On that occasion, both teams advanced to the semi-finals, with Uganda finishing top of the group and Tunisia second.
Across all competitions, Tunisia have won all six meetings between the sides, scoring 16 goals and conceding just once. Their most emphatic victory was a 6–0 home win in 2000 AFCON qualifying in 1999, a match that featured current head coach Sami Trabelsi as a player.
Tunisia are making their 22nd AFCON appearance and a record 17th in succession, having featured at every tournament since 1994. Champions in 2004 and runners-up in 1965 and 1996, they are keen to respond after a disappointing 2023 campaign that ended with a group-stage exit and no wins.
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Trabelsi, who previously coached the North Africans at AFCON 2012 and 2013, guided his side to qualification behind Comoros, with victories over Madagascar and Gambia. Defenders Yassine Meriah and midfielder Aïssa Laïdouni featured in all six qualifiers, while familiarity could play a role as Uganda midfielder Travis Mutyaba currently plays his club football in Tunisia with CS Sfaxien.
Uganda are appearing at the finals for the eighth time and for the first time since 2019, when they reached the round of 16. Their best finish came in 1978, when they were runners-up, but they have lost their opening match in five of their seven AFCON appearances.
Head coach Paul Put is attending his fourth AFCON tournament and has recalled veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango, now 40, after a four-year absence.
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