Tunisia assistant coach Jalel Kadri on Friday played down his team’s billing as favourites for their clash against Burkina Faso at the Stade Roumdé Adjia in Garoua on Saturday night.
The Burkinabe finished the pool stages in second behind Cameroon in Group A while Tunisia, drawn with Gambia, Mauritania and Mali in Group F, advanced to the knockout rounds as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Tunisia went into their last-16 clash against Nigeria as distinct also-rans but they produced a disciplined performance to clip the wings of the Super Eagles.
Burkina Faso have been unheralded during their surge to the last eight. And that lack of fanfare could be misleading, says Kadri.
“The Burkina Faso side is a formidable team,” he added. “We must not underestimate their capacity. They have the individuals who can make a difference. We really don’t think we have a upper hand and we certainly do not have a superiority complex. There are no more favourites in this tournament. There are only teams who are here to compete.”