Tunisia midfielder Khaled Korbi is convinced Niger have a bright future ahead of them despite exiting the Africa Cup of Nations.
A late goal from Issam Jemaa gave Tunisia a 2-1 win against Niger on Friday, booking a place in the quarter-finals from Group C.
Many pundits are convinced Niger have what it takes to threaten among African football’s top echelon, and Korbi agrees after seeing them in action first-hand.
“I really feel for them (Niger). They played a very good game against us and could have carried it off but lack of experience cost them the game,” Korbi told Goal.com.
“We never expected the kind of play Niger rolled out against us. They were physical, fast and combative, almost totally different from the squad we saw against Gabon on Monday.”
“I can confess that this team has a very bright future if they can maintain the present form. They were just too tough.”
When asked what his side’s objectives for the rest of the competition were, the 26-year-old said the focus was on the semi-finals as they continued their preparations for a last-eight clash.
“Now we are into the quarter-finals, we must look beyond that even while preparing for it. We tend to take every step with much seriousness as we go, and let’s see what happens,” Korbi said.
