Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Tunisia-Uganda, likely lineups
The African Cup of Nations 2025 continues Tuesday night at 9 p.m. with the match between Tunisia and Uganda, scheduled for Tuesday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. For the North Africans, who are chasing their second continental title after their 2004 triumph, it is an important debut in an edition in which they start among the most anticipated teams. Uganda, on the other hand, comes to the competition with more restrained ambitions but a desire to surprise.
Sami Trabelsi’s Tunisia comes to the appointment with a mix of confidence and caution. The qualification path was not flawless, with a second place behind Comoros, but the performance in the World Cup qualifiers (nine wins and one draw in ten matches) confirmed the solidity of the group. Elimination in the first round in the 2023 edition remains a warning, as does the recent defensive decline, with goals conceded in six of the last seven matches. Among the strengths is the form of Elias Saad, while Trabelsi has confirmed much of the blocking seen in the November outings, including Meriah, Bronn, Maaloul and Abdi.
Uganda arrives at the tournament with encouraging recent results (four wins in the last six matches) although the Cranes, historically, have never shined in the African Cup of Nations: the last match won in the final stage was in 2019 and the only edition they experienced as a protagonist was in 1978, in which they reached the final losing to Ghana. Coach Paul Put’s goal is to at least replicate reaching the round of 16 in 2019, but the negative record in direct clashes with Tunisia (six consecutive defeats) weighs on the psychological level. Denis Onyango will lead the group as a veteran, while Allan Okello will be one of the offensive references.
Probable lineups
Tunisia (5-3-2): Dahmen; Meriah, Bronn, Valery, Talbi, Abdi; Sassi, Gharbi, Ouanes; Saad, Mastouri. C.t. Trabelsi.
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Uganda (4-2-3-1): Onyango; Sibbick, Mukundane, Obita, Herbert; Semakula, Aucho; Lorenzen, Ikpeazu, Okello; Mukwala. C.t. Put.
