Tunisia v Namibia: Africa Cup of Nations – live

40 min: Corner for Tunisia. A bouncing ball eventually ricochets off a Namibian with Sheffield United’s Slimane causing problems. Achouri needs a wad of tissue to mop the blood up his nose after the ball smashed his nose.

39 min: Tunisia try to hack their way out of trouble but there’s no space to do even that. Namibia charge forward and get a block on the hoof. The ball bounces out for a throw but that’s yet another example of Namibia’s tenacity.

38 min: Tunisia have the ball in midfield for the first time in an age. Namibia are closing space down before it opens and Msakni feels he has no choice but to launch it long. It’s a bit aimless. Namibia back in possession and firmly in control of this now.

36 min: Achouri, the Copenhagen forward, injects a bit of life into the Tunisian attack. He’s switched wings and finds himself in a one-on-two situation. He jinks one way then the other and beats both defenders before delivering a cross to the near post. But it’s too close to Kazapua who smothers it low. Better from Tunisia. Get the ball back to Achouri.

34 min: Good from Hotto. Getting more involved for Namibia. Slick interplay in midfield. They’re starting to keep the ball on the deck and they’re proving they can play. The ball has to come in and it’s a floated delivery. Ben Said comes out to gather, fumbles, but eventually has it under control.

32 min: Namibia have dominated possession since the drinks break. Shitembi playing the conductor role for the Brave Warriors.

30 min: A free-kick from way down town from a Namibian boot has Ben Said off his line. Then he changes his mind and finds himself in no-man’s land. It bounces in the box but no Namibian attacker can react in time. It’s out for a goal-kick but again, jitters from Tunisia at the back suggests that Namibia could nick this.

28 min: Namibia counter. Shalulie has numbers either side. He goes right and it’s cut back infield. Players are flooding forward but a brilliant tackle on the retreat by Msakni snuffs out the danger. Seriously impressed with Namibia. They’ve exceeded expectations after half an hour.

Drinks break: Tunisia won’t be happy with how this has gone. Namibia will be delighted. Their long ball, aggressive tackling strategy is working and they might have been in front had one of Shalulie’s first-time shots not been directed straight at Ben Said.

25 min: Corner for Tunisia thanks to a rampaging run on the overlap by Maaloul. His cut-back is deflected out. KAzapua flaps at the floated ball but there’s no danger.

We’ll take a drinks break.

24 min: Been impressed with Namibia. They’re clearly the less technical side but they’ve battled and defended well. Tunisia perhaps need to slow things down. They seem too eager to move the ball upfield and are flooding forward after it. Once Namibia nick it off them they’re left short at the back which explains why Namibia have had several decent chances.

22 min: Tunisia with a slick move down the left. They should stick with that flank. They get to the byline but the cut-back finds nothing but air.

Oh now Namibia have a chance. Hotto is free inside Tunisia’s box. Shoot! No, instead he chooses to cross and it dribbles out for a goal kick.

Hard to figure out if this has been very dull or really exciting.

18th min: Namibia are merely launching it long. One raking pass finds Nyambe on the left but he can’t link up with a mate. Tunisia for their part are trying to pass there way up field, and are now probing the left, but Namibia are tackling well. It’s a stalemate.

16th min: There’s another foul in midfield with another pl;ayer left clutching his leg. It’s Petrus of Namibia. If I’m being honest, this has been pretty dull so far despite the three shots on target. Someone needs to get control in the central area.

14th min: Everything is going down Tunisia’s left, Namibia’s right. The attack breaks down so Namibia can set their own attack. But that channel is seeing all the action so far.

Khnissi’s race is run unfortunately. Jouini with the No. 9 on his back enters the scene.

12th min: Namibia with a free-kick from the right. It’s a poor one. Well short of the mixer. A speculative bicycle kick from the edge of the area balloons over the bar.

10th min: Kechrida takes a shot from distance on the angle. High and wide but that wasn’t an easy shot to take. He was set up by neat work by Tunisia down their left. They’re having joy down that flank. Once they pass their way round Namibia’s press they gallop into midfield and the pass across Kechrida is an inviting one. Maybe he should have recycled the attack but I don’t mind seeing him take a pop from there.

8th min: Tunisia under siege! Namibia steal the ball and counter swiftly. Shalulile really should have scored. A low cross from the left is well met but again his first time strike is straight at Ben Said. Credit to the ‘keeper though. He was off his line in a flash to smother the shot.

7th min: Namibia with a shot on target from nowhere! A cross from the right is met by Shalulile who swings a right boot at it. It’s not thundered but it is on target. Straight at the keeper.

6th min: Namibia finally get them ball thanks to a needless foul in midfield. Tunisia much sharper with it and with a more energetic and better drilled press.

4th min: A third corner in succession. Namibia make a mess of clearing it twice so have to defend again, this time from the opposite side of the pitch. It goes to the near post and a stiff header from Taha Yassine Khenissi is on target is well saved by Kazapua.

3 min: Tunisia with the ball looking to maintain width. Their wingers are hugging the touchlines. Namibia with two defensive blocks. A ball against the grain has them scrambling back and it’s bounced out for a Tunisia corner.

1 min: Ben Romdhan is fouled in midfield so Tunisia have the ball back. Slow start as they feel each other out.

Peeeep! We’re off. Namibia in red shirts and green shorts. Tunisia in all white.

While we wait, take a gander at the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly. That right there is a football stadium. No doubt about it.

Five minutes to go. Still no live broadcast. Guess we’ll switch over as it kick-off.

A shout out to the man in the middle, referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan.

Loads of his fellow Somalia and this is a Pan-African tournament. So let me join the love-in and wish him well.

A reminder of the other two teams in Group E.

It’s none other than the great Bafana Bafana, winners in 1996 and custodians of the greatest football shirt ever made (go look up South Africa’s gear when they won the competition. It’s sublime).

They’ll take on Mali at 8pm. Both sides will be banking on beating Namibia and will expect a tough assignment against Tunisia. So, an upset here will go down a treat.

There’s just one Premier League player in action in this one.

That’s Sheffield United’s Anis Ben Slimane who starts for Tunisia.

Derby’s Ryan Nyambe is Namibia’s sole English representative.

In fact, other than Aprocius Petrus who plays for the Kosovo club Liria Prizren, Nyambe is the only European based player in the Namibian side.

Tunisia have loads of European experience. Three play in France, three in Germany, two in Switzerland and one each in Hungary, Italy, Denmark and Greece.

Will that count?

The gods appear to be on Namibia’s side. At least according to some superstitious fans.

Burkina Faso (a dark horse for many) needed a 96th minute penalty to beat Mauritania 1-0! I’m telling you, this Afcon is as mad as I’ve ever seen!

Tunisia starting XI: Ben Said, Kechrida, Meriah, Talbi, Maaloul, Skhiri, Ben Romdhane, Ben Slimane, Achouri, Khenissi, Msakni

Subs: Laidouni, Haddadi, Ltaief, Srarfi, Valery, Sliti, Ghram, Hassen, Abdi, Rafia, Jouini

Namibia starting XI: Kazapua, Nyambe, Amutenya, Haukongo, Tjiueza, Limbondi, Shitembi, Petrus, Hanamub, Shalulile, Hotto

Subs: Haoseb, Gebhardt, Hambira, Katua, Kambato, Muzeu, Kamatuka, Papama, Ndisiro, Wendell, Kamberipa, Maova

It’s been an Afcon of upsets, shocks and surprises. So although this one might look like a gimme for a team that has won this competition against a team that had previously only qualified once before, all bets are off.

Tunisia, though, will still fancy themselves. The 2004 champions topped their qualifying group and have a striker in Yousef Msakni who is looking to score in a record-equalling sixth Afcon tournament.

Namibia will lean on their forward Peter Shalulile who plays for South Africa’s leading club, Mamelodi Sundowns. Their one and only appearance on Africa’s grandest stage came in 2019 where they lost all three group matches.

This is only the two nations’ second ever meeting and the first in a competitive setting. Way back in 2007 Tunisia triumphed 2-0 at home.

It’s all pointing to a comfortable win for the Eagles of Carthage over the Brave Warriors, but as we’ve seen, nothing is guaranteed in this bonkers event.

Kick-off at 5pm GMT. Teams and more updates to come.