The biennial competition, which began in Angola on Sunday, has witnessed some major surprises in the first round of games.

Algeria suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Malawi, Ivory Coast were held to a goalless draw by Burkina Faso, Cameroon lost 1-0 to Gabon and Tunisia stumbled against Zambia.

"All the teams in Africa have become strong," Benzarti, who was making his competitive debut at Tunisia's helm, told Al-Jazeera Sport after the game.

"The differences between all teams are minor. The surprising Nations Cup results clearly show that."

Zambia took a surprising lead against Tunisia, thanks to an 18th-minute goal from striker Jacob Mulenga.

Zouheir Dhaouadi, one of the few Tunisian players to produce a fine display, secured a share of spoils five minutes before the break.

"My team is still young," Benzarti, who took over at Tunisia after Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho was dismissed for failing to help the team qualify for this year's World Cup, added.

"There are many new and young players who need time to show their true worth."