I watched the draw live and was hoping to avoid Cote d’Ivoire and Angola so that our friendlies against them in the lead up to the tournament (Dec. 29th and Jan. 3rd) would not get canceled. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if it happened but I think the FTF has enough issues to deal with at the moment and adding another task to their plate might have yielded some poor results. Luckily when all was said and done, we were the last team left and automatically were placed in group D.

The Groups

Group A: Angola, Mali, Algeria, Malawi.

Group B: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso.

Group C: Egypt, Nigeria, Benin, Mozambique.

Group D: Cameroon, Tunisia, Zambia, Gabon.

Fixtures Schedule

13 January, 2010: Zambia vs. Tunisia

17 January, 2010 Gabon vs. Tunisia

21 January, 2010 Cameroon vs. Tunisia

So what do we make of this? Clearly the group favorites are Cameroon considering their history and the fact that they are World Cup bound but it’s really not a simple group at all and might even be the second most difficult one out there after Cote d’Ivoire’s which is undoubtedly the Group of Death.

Mini Analysis of Our Opponents

Cameroon: The Indomitable Lions hardly need an introduction. They stumbled in qualifying early but are roaring once more after assuring themselves of a place in South Africa 2010 and have Paul Le Guen to thank for it. He still hasn’t signed his contract extension with them but that should be happening soon.

Unlike our 2008 campaign where we started against our main group rival, Senegal, this time we have the benefit of facing Cameroon in our last one. Some would say that is an advantage because we could already be through to the second round by the time we face them but that is more than a little presumptuous considering the strength of both Zambia and Gabon who gave both Egypt and Morocco fits in qualifying.

Our 2008 quarter final exit against them was widely hailed as the match of the tournament as they went up 2-0 early only for us to battle back to 2-2 before conceding a lone goal in extra time that sent us packing. I don’t think we’ve ever beaten them in a tournament or qualifier (correct me if I’m wrong) so another shot at that is something we should embrace. Especially with Faouzi Benzarti at the helm.

Gabon: The Panthers would have shocked the world by qualifying for South Africa 2010 but two successive losses to Cameroon stopped them in their tracks. Beating Morocco on the first day in Casablanca was a signal that this team has come a long way. Alain Giresse has turned them into a much more organized side and they have the Aubemayang brothers and Daniel Cousin to supply the goals.

A very athletic team who can cause anyone serious problems. Morocco found that out the hard way losing to them 3-1 in their rematch in Libreville. The message has been heard loud and clear, underestimate this team at your own risk.

Zambia: Besides for the Algerians, Zambia is the main reason six time African champions Egypt did not make it to next summer’s big show. In the first match they came out with a 1-1 draw from Cairo International Stadium and some experts even say that they could have won that match had their finishing been a little more on point. The Chipolopolo boys are not an unknown quantity to us (there are less and less of those in African football in our day and age anyways) since we have played them numerous times in friendlies and continental competitions.

One particular match that comes to mind is our first one against them in the 2006 African Cup when we were defending our 2004 title. It was our first group game and we went down 1-0 due to a defensive mistake but then came back and won convincingly (4-1). Won’t be as easy this time around, Herve Renard’s men are a tough nut to crack. Like Gabon, they also have some brothers on the team (Felix and Christopher Katongo).

PS: Should we make it to the second round we will be facing the first or second team from Group C. While there’s a lot of football to be played between now and then. You can’t help but consider that there is potential for a Tunisia vs. Nigeria rematch or an Arab derby between us and Egypt. That’s not a slight against Benin or Mozambique who will have their say also but just something to look forward to because either one of those games would be hugely entertaining for obvious reasons.

Another shot at Mozambique would be welcome too though! I wanted us to land in their group so that we could hopefully see what a Tunisia team relying on its best elements and not being constricted by a conservative approach would fare against the Mambas. Maybe they’ll pull a surprise and I’ll get my wish anyways. So all in all, a good competitive group which will undoubtedly produce some quality matches.

Nice to know that there is still football on the horizon for our national team even after the disappointment of last Saturday. Hopefully the changes that are coming in Tunisian football will benefit our Carthage Eagles in the short term as well as far down the road. This tournament just took on a whole other level of importance now that we’re not going to South Africa but it’s yet to be seen if we’ll use it to develop our young talent or to attempt to win it with the majority of the squad we’ve already built or try to do a mixture of both. The days ahead will be revealing in that respect…

So many things went wrong that it’s hard to know where to begin but the starting lineup was the first sign of trouble. I stated in the preview of the match that if there is one player that absolutely had to start this game it was Ousemma Darragi and we all unanimously agreed that not putting him in would be a big mistake considering the fact that he is the player who has the dribbling skills, the creativity, and the range of passing to put the Mambas on their back heel and provide the telling pass that evaded us in Maputo yesterday (amongst so many other shortcomings).

Once I heard the probable and then official starting eleven I should have known that things were not going to go well from the outset but instead resorted to rationalizing it by saying that perhaps Coelho knew something we didn’t since he is closer to the players than us. Turns out that’s not the case, he just didn’t know what he was doing.

The fact that we left our most potent offensive threat on the bench in a game where winning was the only thing that would assure qualification is mind bogglingly naive and an arrogant approach against a Mambas team that already fired multiple warning shots during these qualifiers (props to them by the way, any other result yesterday would have been unfair given their dominance on all levels).

Furthermore, while so many of us been clamoring for our team to finally stop using three defensive midfielders it is bitterly ironic that, in retrospect, using the same lineup and formation as the one we employed in Abuja would have probably been the only thing that would have given us a chance in the match. Coelho’s gamble of attempting to switch up our style without leaving in our most integral attacking asset backfired completely.

Essentially, we lost this match before it started due to our coach’s lack of audacity and ceding control of midfield played right into the Mambas strengths. As if getting handicapped by our strategy and lineup choices weren’t enough, even the players selected, apart our goalkeeper Mathlouthi who saved us from an even more catastrophic outcome, went missing in the Maputo sun. No ball pressure, no fighting spirit, no desire. We didn’t even force a real save from the opposing keeper!

Watching yesterday’s match you would never think that we were battling for a place in history as players were walking on the pitch and could hardly string three passes together before running out of steam. It is now clear that not preparing in Botswana or South Africa as had been considered was a huge error because physically these guys had nothing to give in a match where they were hopelessly chasing after the ball more than controlling it.

I could go on and on about the thing that went wrong yesterday but because I value my sanity and yours, I’ll spare us any more torture as we all know that this is bigger than one game. This match was a test of whether we could finally man up and go for the jugular against sides that stand in our way but we failed it miserably.

This latest disappointment is symptomatic of a much greater and far ranging problem in Tunisian football which is crippling and overly conservative style to the way the game is played. It’s a matter of approach and ours, which has already shown its shortcoming on many occasions, must be overhauled immediately.

Damage control can only get your so far in football and we’ve reached the end of the line with these tactics. What’s sickening is that after the match Coelho was quoted on Mosaique saying that based on his reading of the game he thought we deserved to qualify and that the only thing he’d like to forget from the match is the result!

Are you kidding me? We must never forget this result because if we do we’re just going to see our team continue down this path of inferiority complexes and lack of self belief. Tunisia is bigger than that and our proud history attests to it. Our only hope is that this disqualification leads to real change rather than more empty promises. This match was a microcosm of all the problems we have been complaining about since 2004 and its lessons cannot go unheeded.

Post Match Analysis from Hannibal TV here.

In any case, congratulations to Nigeria and best of luck in South Africa 2010. We will be counting on them alongside all our African representatives to honor the continent next summer. Also, a special and heartfelt thank you to everyone (Nigerians, Kenyans, Mozambicans, my fellow Tunisians, and neutral observers) who read and contributed positively throughout these qualifiers. It’s been a true pleasure and I hope everyone sticks around because this is not the end of the road for us. Future successes must be traced and followed through on beginning today.

What’s next? I’ll leave that to all of us to discuss.

They’ll then have one more the next day and after that it’s showtime. Personally I wish I could just watch this match right now but given that our players are still getting accustomed to their new environment then I’ll continue to wait impatiently (as if I have a choice?)…

I’m not going to go into too many details regarding Mozambique since I covered those bases in the Goal.com preview I wrote. We know that they’re cohesive, like to play a team game inspired by their Dutch coach Martin Nooij and can move that ball around if allowed to.

However, given Humberto Coelho’s latest interviews before our Djerba training camp (which reportedly went very well aside from a minor ankle sprain suffered by FBK on the first day), we’re set to take the game right to them. As in, our aim is to not allow Mozambique to enjoy time on the ball and to build their attacks how they like to.

While the details of how we’re actually going to implement our gameplan are naturally something of a secret, it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that when our coach says “you can’t let them play” that he means we’re going to employ a high press just like we successfully did against Nigeria in our second game against them.

If we do this like we know how to, there is no reason that we can’t notch a win in Maputo and end the Mambas impressive home unbeaten streak which has lasted almost two years. Honestly, this is the perfect test for us.

Tunisians (and objective observers) have often been frustrated by our team’s lack of audacity and over reliance on a stern defense. If we had scored a lot of goals against Kenya then maybe our players would have gone into this match thinking that a draw would be enough and we’d see anti-football of the highest degree.

Instead, as fate would have it, we’re going to have to earn this qualification through attacking play. It’s not that we don’t know how to attack, we have team jam packed with technique, skill and goal scoring ability but sadly we’ve seldom thrown caution to the wind in favor of a true strategy of deliberately breaking down our opponents. The risk involved is something we’ve often tried to dodge in recent years but we have no choice now if we want our just reward.

How else do you explain that the best football we’ve seen from our Eagles has come when we were chasing after a result? Think of Cameroon in the 2008 African Cup or more recently Nigeria in Abuja and you can see why it’s frustrating to be a fan of our team because we know that we are capable of showing our quality when we let go of our apprehensions.

This time all we hope to see is a sustained commitment to throw everything we have at our opponents for the full 90 minutes. At least then if things don’t go our way there will be no regrets over our tactics and we’ll be able to have a clear conscience knowing that our team gave it all they had. And in all seriousness, if we play like we know how, we have the ability to not only beat Mozambique but to do it convincingly. It’s all a matter of mentality though and it will be up to our coach to instill confidence in his troops.

That starts with the elimination of fearing the negative result and instead embracing the glorious opportunity ahead of us. I never want to hear our footballers talk about “fear” again. Respect is one thing, prudence is one thing, but fear? Fear of what? It’s football! It’s time to play it from start to finish, not for one half and then start watching the clock. That is crippling and this is our chance to take a big step past this nasty tendency.

It’s cliche but I’ll say it: Fortune favors the brave and I know our players are fighters. They don’t fear Mozambique but they do fear losing this chance of a place in the first African World Cup so this will be a mental test for all of them. I believe in them and know that they can pass it by channeling their emotions in a positive way. If they approach this game like the away match against the Super Eagles and keep that up a whole game I am confident we can emerge victorious.

Ultimately, this match is one for the players. They are the principal actors and while Coelho’s decisions including lineups and tactics will have a role in the final outcome, the truth is that whatever team he puts out there will be capable of beating Mozambique if they play to their full potential. Whether they actually end up doing so or not is another story but let us consider factors that might contribute to a positive result in one way or another.

The Starting 11

Goalkeeper: Can’t imagine anyone but Mathlouthi starting and would be shocked if it was anyone else.

Defense: With the exception of the possibility of Chahed starting instead of Souissi at right back expect the usual cast of characters here. That means a backline composed of: Souissi/Chahed, Haggui, Ghezal, and Mikari.

I liked what I saw from Chahed against Saudi Arabia and I think that using him wouldn’t be as big a gamble as it’s being made out to be. Given Coelho’s aversion to big changes it seems likely we’ll see Khaled on the right side again.

Our coach is closer to the players and has a much better read on whether or not giving Chahed his first match in Africa in such a big game would be wise so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Midfield: This is where things start to get less clear. The eternal and almost philosophical question at this point is whether we’ll play with two or three defensive midfielders. Considering the fact that Coelho used three against these same opponents in our first encounter against them in Rades, you’d think he’d be doing the same in an away match where the opposing coach has promised to go for a win right?

Back then we had Ben Yahia in the match alongside Ragued and Korbi. He’s not in the list and the only other defensive midfielders we have in the squad are Jamel Saihi and Haythem Mrabet. Given how the former looked against Saudi Arabia it’d be hard to imagine us using him in this game in that same capacity. Granted, that was a just a little under a month and he could be in much better shape right now.

My hope is that we don’t use three but if we do then I guess Mrabet would be the option I’d pick. He had that great assist in Abuja and is combative. My only concern is that sometimes he’s a little reckless with his challenges but I doubt he’d do anything rash in a match this important.

If we go with two defensive midfielders expect Ragued and Korbi to start. They have already shown their immense capacity of pressuring opponents and suffocating anyone on the ball. Then who would the two offensive midfielders be? There are four options: Zouhaier Dhaouadi, Chaouki Ben Saada, Oussemma Darragi, and Fahid Ben Khalfallah.

One player that absolutely needs to start the match is Darraginho. The kid has been the architect of many of our wins and anyone who tells you otherwise is holding a grudge against Esperance. He’s not perfect, no one is but what he’s brought to our team in terms of creativity in Chikhaoui’s absence is nothing short of spectacular.

One of the main reasons we struggled mightily against the Mambas in Rades is that it took him so long to be subbed into the match and once he did he settled it practically on his lonesome, finishing with aplomb from distance and then giving Ghariani a silver platter assist that the forward wasted. Coelho learned his lesson since then and Oussemma has been a mainstay ever since, as he should be.

The question of who gets to play alongside him is not a simple one but my vote would be for Fahid if he is fully recovered from the ankle sprain (and only if). He’s been in sublime form for Valenciennes and is the type of players that will run and run and then run some more. Dhaouadi fits into that same category but I’d like to see him come in as a super sub to change the complexion of our attack and keep Mozambique on their heels. Based on skill Ben Saada can also do this but out of the three I’m rating him the least apt to do it due to his recent performances at club level.

Strikeforce: Obviously this segment of the field is affected by whether or not we use five midfielders or four. If we go with our usual 4-5-1 which converts into a 4-3-3 when we’re going forward then I think Amine Chermiti is the man who can lead the line in this game. Issam Jemaa has not been getting very much playing time with Lens and we don’t want to find out the hard way that he’s not ready.

Nevertheless, if he does play, I’ll be the first to support him. He’s our leading scorer and even if he misses a lot there’s something to be said about his dedication to the Tunisia jersey, the depth he gives us, and how hard he fights to regain possession. He’s the type of player who gives everything thing he has and then some more even when he’s running on empty… but then again, so is Chermiti.

This is a tough call for our coach but I have a feeling we’ll see Jemaa in attack simply because every time he has been available, he’s started (he was injured against Mozambique in our first match and then also out in our home game against Nigeria).

But what if we play with two strikers? Who would those two be? I’ve mentioned it before in a previous post but I’ll say it again, the last time we actually put in an emphatic win (4-0 against Sudan) it was with Allagui and Chermiti as the attacking duo. I think they could cause some major damage.

The idea of Jemaa with Chermiti doesn’t make that much sense to me. I don’t really know why but something about it rubs me the wrong way (perhaps because both are lefty?). Same goes with Allagui and Jemaa but maybe I’m overthinking things…

Match Time: Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 2:00 PM Tunisia Time, 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (ie. for those of you like myself on the East coast here in the US)

Reminder On Full Squads

Mozambique

Goalkeepers: Kampango (Tersana), Marcelino (Liga Muculmana)

Defenders: Dário Khan (Al Hilal), Fanuel (Liga Muculmana), Miro (Wits University), Paito (FC Sion), Simão (Panathinaïkos), Whisky (Ferroviario Maputo)

Midfielders: Carlitos (SuperSport United), Danito Parruque (Ferroviario Maputo), Dominguez (SuperSport United), Genito (Budapest-Honved), Gonçalves Fumo (Olhanense), Mano (El Gouna), Momed Hagy (Ferroviario Maputo), Nelinho (Desportivo Maputo)

Strikers: Dário Monteiro (Nea Salamina), Maurício (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Sonito (Desportivo Maputo), Tico-Tico (Orlando Pirates)

Tunisia

Goalkeepers: Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile), Hamdi Kasraoui (Lens), Jassem Khaloufi (CSS)

Defenders: Aymen Abdennour (Etoile), Sofiène Chahed (Hannover 96), Khaled Souissi (CA), Yassine Mikari (Sochaux), Radhouène Felhi (Munich 1860), Seif Ghzel (Young Boys), Ammar Jmal (Etoile), Karim Haggui (Hannover 96)

Midfielders: Khaled Korbi (Esperance), Haythem Mrabet (CSS), Houcine Ragued (Slavia Prague), Jamel Saihi (Montpellier), Oussemma Darragi (Esperance), Zouhaier Dhaouadhi (CA), Fahid Ben Khalfallah (Valenciennes), Chaouki Ben Sâada (OGC Nice)

Strikers: Sami Allagui (Greuther Furth), Amine Chermiti (Al-Ittihad), Issam Jomâa (Lens), Ali Zitouni (Antalyaspor)

Final Thoughts

As I previously noted, whatever lineup, tactic, formation, gameplan, or style we go for, the only thing that matters is that we leave everything on that synthetic pitch. The analysis of why we succeeded or failed in our quest for a World Cup place will come, but for those 90 minutes (and a few extra for added time) our hearts will be with whoever is on the field fighting so that our flag is waving proudly in winds of South Africa come next June.

Based on our run through these qualifiers I believe we are the most deserving team in the group (that’s from a dispassionate and analytical reading of each game thus far) but football (and life) is not about what you deserve, it’s about what you take. Our destiny is in our hands, let’s take it!

Allez Louled Jibouhaaaaaaaa! Forza Tounes! Inshallah Marbou7a!

In my estimation, we’ve thankfully been spared of such a scenario that would have instilled doubt in the team.

Instead, Coelho has assembled a balanced team filled with logical choices that were dictated by a criteria based on competitiveness and current form. While that may be an ideal that all coaches should subscribe to, we all know that that’s not always how these things work out. In any case, here are your Carthage Eagles who will be defending our World Cup chances next Saturday (November 14th).

Goalkeepers: Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile), Hamdi Kasraoui (Lens), Jassem Khaloufi (CSS)

Defenders: Aymen Abdennour (Etoile), Sofiène Chahed (Hannover 96), Khaled Souissi (CA), Yassine Mikari (Sochaux), Radhouène Felhi (Munich 1860), Seif Ghzel (Young Boys), Ammar Jmal (Etoile), Karim Haggui (Hannover 96)

Midfielders: Khaled Korbi (Esperance), Haythem Mrabet (CSS), Houcine Ragued (Slavia Prague), Jamel Saihi (Montpellier), Oussemma Darragi (Esperance), Zouhaier Dhaouadhi (CA), Fahid Ben Khalfallah (Valenciennes), Chaouki Ben Sâada (OGC Nice)

Strikers: Sami Allagui (Greuther Furth), Amine Chermiti (Al-Ittihad), Issam Jomâa (Lens), Ali Zitouni (Antalyaspor)

Notable Omissions

Lassad Nouioui: Even though he showed this past weekend that he’s slowly beginning to regain his form, this choice is not a dramatic one since Lassad hasn’t done enough in a Tunisia jersey to be counted on in such a pivotal match. We can’t afford to roll the dice in this type of game and I think Coelho made the right call here. No one doubts Lassad has immense talent and will one day figure prominently in our plans but right now replacing him with Chermiti makes perfect sense given the current circumstances.

Tijani Belaid: I’ve yet to see him produce his Slavia form for us. The kid is talented but he shines his brightest when you put him behind the attackers and we’ve never given him that opportunity and won’t hand him the keys to the team at this late stage in the game. The offensive midfielders that have been picked ahead of him are all in better form.

Nabil Taider: This is a mini surprise but not a controversial one because the logic behind it is sound. It’s a surprise because Taider has been a starter for us since he came on board. He put in a fantastic match against Nigeria and a less than stellar performance versus Kenya but its telling that when he’s in shape Coelho doesn’t hesitate to put him in from the get go. However, to my knowledge, the guy hasn’t played a single match with his Greek club since our Saudi Arabia friendly. While Coelho can afford to take Hamdi Kasraoui due to his experience and the nature of the position he plays, he can’t rely on an uncompetitive Taider because he is a midfielder who will be expected to run non stop in Maputo. This shows that our coach is committed to the principles he’s talked about in the past.

Farrouk Ben Mustapha: I only include him in notable omissions because he was on the last list for Kenya and Saudi Arabia. He’s young and inexperienced at this level and as a goalkeeper that’s not going to give you place in the team in this type of make or break affair. Replacing him with Khalloufi who’s been a part of these African trips is understandable even though we all know that Mathlouthi is going to start in Mozambique barring any last minute injuries.

Notable Additions

Amine Chermiti: The kid’s on fire for Al Ittihad these days and on the verge of becoming the first player in history to partake with in two FIFA Club World Cups with two different teams so long as his side handles business in their Asian Champions League final this weekend. I actually think he should have made the last list instead of Nouioui (who at the time was far from a convincing choice). Amine deserves a place in the team because he’s lives for these matches and he loves the spotlight. He is a proven goalscorer in decisive games, is accustomed to playing in Africa, and his morale is as high as can be (especially if he lifts that title on Saturday inshallah). It will be tough for him to unseat Jemaa for a starting place in our team just because we know Coelho (and most coaches) like continuity but if we need a goal in the second half, it is a true luxury to be able to bring someone with Chermiti’s speed and killer instinct off the bench.

Sami Allagui: Again, a selection dictated by current form and not by reputation or bias. Allagui didn’t make the last squad but he’s on this one now and its for the right reasons. He’s playing regularly for Greuther Furth and scored a fantastic goal a couple weeks ago. Sure he’s not a pivotal player for us and may not even get playing time but one thing that hasn’t slipped my mind is that the last time Tunisia put in a convincing attacking output, it was during a friendly versus Sudan where both Chermiti and Allagui were on the field together. We ended up thrashing our visitors by the score of 4-0 with the two diminutive forwards combining on one of the goals (they nearly did it another time but the chance was missed). Might we see a repeat scenario in Maputo if things stay level until late?

There’s more to talk about but I’ll leave that for the discussion in the comments section. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been pretty nervous these last two weeks which I think is totally normal considering how high the stakes are. However, after seeing this roster today I’m feeling better. That isn’t to say that vigilance isn’t important but just an indication of my satisfaction with the players that Coelho has decided to place his bets on.

These guys have it within them to defeat Mozambique come November 14th. There’s no doubt about that. The list is a malleable one with lots of options which will give Coelho maximum flexibility.

Now it’s time to discuss lineups, tactics, and formations so let’s get to it! Based on the list, what’s your ideal starting 11 and probable substitutions?

Forza Tounes!

As soon as the match began it was abundantly clear that Saudi Arabia were more motivated and perhaps just more awake. They looked dangerous from the opening kick and forced a corner in the second minute which resulted in a Nasser Chamrani header that caught both our central defenders napping (Felhi especially) and also prompted Hamdi Kasraoui to make one of his typical mistakes judging both the trajectory of the ball and the appropriate moment to intercept it.

From then on out, our squad, which had only one holdover (Jemal) from the team that started against Kenya was basically condemned to chasing the match in search of an equalizer. Needless to say, that isn’t exactly a simple thing to do when you’re using a team that has never played together before outside of the training ground.

Despite some desire shown by the players to react and get back on level terms, the lack of cohesiveness in midfield as well as the lack of a final pass or a finishing touch to the few passes that did make it (thinking of FBK’s volleyed miss here) didn’t allow for us to break down a well drilled Saudi unit which, it must be said, was missing some key players who did not travel to the team due to club commitments.

The way the game was going suited our visitors a lot more than it suited us considering our glaring inability to set up organized and effective attacks against a team that was content to sit back and give us a dose of our own medicine (counter attacking football). The only players that stood out from the pack were Zouheir Dhaoudi and Sofian Chahed while Aymen Abdennour also had a couple moments.

Seeing that the Carthage Eagles were heading for what would (and now is) only their second loss under his command, Humberto Coelho brought out some of the big guns in the second half (Jemaa, Taider, Korbi, and Zitouni) to hopefully nab an equalizer and we immediately looked more balanced and finally were doing a much better job pressuring the opposition.

Unfortunately the last touch of class eluded us time and time again and we also came close to conceding a second and would have if not for some great last ditch defending by Haythem Mrabet who continues to show that, when given a chance, he really does have something to offer to this team.

As time dwindled down it became increasingly apparent that Coelho would suffer his first loss since our 3-1 defeat at the hands of France in St. Denis and that’s how things ended. Despite the result, the match did give us some insights into which players could be counted on for our final qualifier versus Mozambique.

I’m not going to discuss every single player that took part but here’s a look at the ones that stood out to me for better or for worse:

Noteworthy Players

Hamdi Kasraoui: What can I say that hasn’t already been said before? The guy needs competition and he needs it now. Nothing can replace playing in real matches with real pressure and training with Lens just isn’t going to cut it in the long term. Hope he can nab a starting spot somehow to lift his level because his mistake on our goal really was the worst way to start his first game in months. Even though there’s shared responsibility with the defenders who didn’t help him out by not covering the player, he should know when to stay on his line and when not to. I just hope Balbouli doesn’t pick up an injury because Hamdi is just not reassuring.

Sofian Chahed: One of the match’s pleasant surprises for me. It was great to see a right back at right back for once and frankly it could be argued that he looked better than he was just because I was subconsciously comparing him to Khaled Souissi who, despite his much appreciated efforts, simply doesn’t have the speed or technique for the position.

The Hannover player is a shoo-in for the spot as far as I’m concerned but we’ll see if Coelho is prepared to start him in a must win match in an African setting. It’s hard for us to determine whether he’d be ready for such a thing since we don’t much about his character but a German temperament should be helpful right?

Zouheir Dhaouadi: The most dynamic player on the field during the first half and one that fit in very well with a makeshift starting lineup in the second. He’s just a cut above of in terms of speed and acceleration and you’d be hard pressed to convince me that we can afford to keep a guy like him in the stands rather than on the bench or the field.

If he’s healthy come November, he has to be on the team. He already made a fantastic contribution in Abuja in very little time and this outing only confirmed what many of his fans already know. Could have had an assist if not for some poor positioning by Jemaa. Coelho has a real decision to make as far as the starting lineup because I’d rather have today’s Zou than Sunday’s Ben Saada in that position.

Khaled Korbi: Poor guy took one for the team as he got nailed in the nuts by Kasraoui’s knee while rushing back to defend a counter attack but the former Bardo Boy returned to the pitch and continued to do what he does best, hassling opponents and just imposing himself physically.

The grinta he brings to the team cannot be underestimated and that almost ever-present frown on his face is pretty intimidating too! Took a couple of corners for good measure to show off another aspect of his game that he has been developing. He’s successfully won me over throughout the qualifiers and today’s match was nothing different.

Lassad Nouioui: After a few relatively good touches he just never settled into the game and wasted the few opportunities he had to create something when he got the ball. He may have great technique but he still just doesn’t look comfortable and who can blame him as its technically only his first match with us.

A mediocre outing is no reason to give up on him though but if its between him or Chermiti next month then I know I’d go with the latter because Amine not only knows Africa better but he has a well established history of delivering on big occasions. Plus he’s back in shape and scoring at club level, having tallied two goals with Al Ittihad today in their friendly against Egypt’s Harras Al Hoodood (thanks to Hany for pointing that out). Lassad will have plenty to give us in the future and no one is going to make a definitive judgment after a single half but for now I think we need players who know the team better and have started big matches on our continent.

Haythem Mrabet: If we didn’t have a Korbi and a Ragued in the team I’d be pulling for him to start but I think that it’s great we have such good competition at the defensive midfield position between these three.

Ali Zitouni: Before the match kicked off he told Mosaique FM that he wanted to seize his chance and I think he did just that. Made me wonder what would have happened if we put a player like him into our game against Kenya. Even though he was probably one of the older players, if not the oldest, on the field, he looked very lively and showcased some on the ball skills that I didn’t even remember him having. Too bad he never really got a chance to put a shot on goal but I think that he made a point to Coelho that he can be relied on if necessary. Props to him for doing so.

Conclusions

So long as our players stay fit and injury free, we’re basically going to see the same team that started in Abuja debut the game in Maputo with the exception of Souissi who could be potentially replaced by Chahed and Dhaouadi who could potentially take Ben Saada’s place. I think the situation at right back is more likely to change than the latter just because the difference is so flagrant while the other one a little less so. Plus Dhaouadi can be a real game changer off the bench.

Some players utilized this match effectively to raise their stock while others didn’t stand out as much as they would have wanted to (Belaid, Felhi , Lassad, and Saihi) but a month is a long time in a qualifying campaign (hell, even one week is) so nothing is set in stone.

One thing is for sure, there’s plenty of work to be done in South Africa or Botswana during our next training camp and the players will all be incredibly determined once that time comes.

If anyone is still upset we lost this match, I have a question for you: Would you rather lose to a team fighting to redeem themselves in a not so meaningful friendly or to one in an official competition that could cost you a place at the most prestigious tournament in the world? You’d take the first option wouldn’t you? Yup, me too.

Post Match Interviews here

Download Full Match

Tunisia vs. Kenya here.

Tunisia vs. Saudi Arabia here.

The Goal

However this isn’t any old regular friendly considering all Tunisian football fans are demanding that the squad show some flair and attacking fluency that they failed to produce versus the Harambee Stars. In truth, a tie where we actually go out with the intention of constructing our attacks will be more appreciated than if we play like we did on Sunday and win unconvincingly.

This isn’t a qualifier, there are no points involved and thus this will give Humberto Coelho an opportunity to test many players, formations, and lineups that he hasn’t dared try out in other fixtures where he judged that there was too much at stake to tinker with a formula that has been producing results.

On the other hand, there are plenty of fans who still remember being reduced to tears by this same Saudi Arabian team in 2006 and thus want to our squad to set the record straight and get a resounding victory. While it’s true that this encounter is a rematch of that game which produced a result that Carthage Eagles fans still have a tough time swallowing, our team has changed so much since then that any talk of revenge isn’t really appropriate (at least in my opinion).

Besides, Saudi didn’t steal their tie on that day. They played very well and we were simply poor, losing our way after taking our foot off the gas pedal following our first goal. So there’s no sense of injustice tied to that result for there to be a true desire for vengeance or anything of the sort.

However, following an underwhelming outing against Kenya and considering our November 14th qualifier against the Mambas in Maputo on the horizon you can be sure that the players who take part tomorrow will mean business.

On the other hand you have a Green Falcons team that is still recovering from having been dumped out of World Cup qualifying in the cruelest of fashions against Bahrain. They have a lot to prove to their fans and will play their hardest to get back in their good graces.

The combination of these factors most likely means that we are set to be treated to an enjoyable game of entertaining football (thats an educated guess, not a promise). Sadly, it’s quite possible that we’re once again going to see Rades go back to its ghost town feel… I hope to be proven wrong in that regard but I’d be quite surprised if even half of the seats are filled.

In any case, what is of most interest to us will be getting to see the players in this squad that still haven’t gotten an opportunity to strut their stuff on the pitch. This is their chance to plant a seed in Coelho’s mind that they’ll be useful once its time to get gritty on the opposite end of the continent.

Our coach himself has already admitted he’ll be using this match to get a better idea of what each player can bring to the table when he actually allows them to step on the pitch. It’s funny we all want players tested now when all people usually scream about in our country is for an NT coach to settle on a lineup after a few months on the job and build some chemistry! Just goes to show that a football fan is never quite satisfied eh?

Meanwhile, Esperance and Al-Ittihad Tripoli’s UNAF Cup match has been pushed back to later this month and thus the players from the current Tunisian champions who are in the roster (Darragi and Derbali) will be at Coelho’s disposal. Not such a bad development since he might want to test Darragi in more of a true playmaker role near the end of the game (I doubt he starts).

Things I expect to/would like to see happen: 1) Kasraoui will start 2) Ben Mustapha will play the second half 3) Chahed, Haggui, and Aymen Abdennour will start 4) Zouheir Dhaouadi, Haythem Mrabet, Jamel Saihi, Tijani Belaid, Lassad Nouioui and Ali Zitouni will play significant minutes and a few of them will start 5) Derbali or Felhi will come in for Haggui.

For more details check the preview I wrote for Goal.com.

Squads

Tunisia: Aymen Mathlouthi, Hamdi Kasraoui, Farrouk Ben Mustapha, Aymen Abdennour, Sofiene Chahed, Zied Derbali, Radhouene Felhi, Seif Ghezal, Karim Haggui, Ammar Jemal, Yassine Mikari, Khaled Souissi, Tijani Belaid, Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Chaouki Ben Saada, Ousemma Darragi, Zouheir Dhaouadi, Khaled Korbi, Haythem Mrabet, Houcine Ragued, Jamel Saihi, Nabil Taider, Issam Jemaa, Lassad Nouioui, Ali Zitouni

Saudi Arabia: Walid Abdullah, Hassan Shiaan, Mansour Al Najii, Kamel Moussa, Ousemma Houssaoui, Majed Al Mashrdi, Abdullah Shoheil, Jafin Al Bishi, Tayssir Al Jassem, Mohamed Masaad, Hassan Moadh, Mansour Al Harbi, Ahmed Atif, Abdullatif Al Ghannam, Moataz Moussa, Solman Sibiany, Ibrahim Ghaleb, Yahia Al Shahri, Mokhtar Fellateh, Abdelmalek Al Ghibri, Yasser Qahtani, Nasser Shamrani, Abdulaziz Al Saaran, Ahmed Al Souileh

In Other News

- The FTF and our technical staff have decided that a little less than a week prior to our match against Mozambique the team will travel to Botswana or South Africa for a training camp to get acclimated both to the weather and to practice on the an artificial pitch in preparation for Maputo. Smart move considering our last match on such a surface was in the Seychelles and that side is nowhere near as tough a cookie as the Mambas will be next month.

-We unveiled our new kits for the African Cup today. Check here, here, here, and here for pictures.

Yea I know that’s a lot of pictures and most everyone knows my feelings on both designs so I won’t bore you with those thoughts again.

Just let me know when you find the red one for sale! I say that even though the back of its looks mighty odd. Check the second set of pictures to see what I mean.

Add to that the fact that we were less than a minute away from qualifying for next summer’s World Cup a match early and its easy to understand why Tunisians are feeling mighty conflicted about how things went today, myself included.

On the one hand we got our three points and conserved group leadership going into our last qualifier versus Mozambique. On the other we didn’t score enough goals in this game to make a draw an acceptable result in Maputo on November 14th should our West African foes defeat Kenya in Nairobi on the same day.

However, before we get too far into the conversation discussing our outlook for that date with destiny, let’s revisit today’s game against Kenya first.

The Match

What a beautiful sight to see Rades practically full for a national team match, something that hasn’t happened since 2005 when we booked our ticket to the WC in Germany by tying Morocco 2-2.

Just before the match began it crossed my mind that I had seen Tunisia face Kenya during those same qualifiers at Rades and was at the match in question. For that one there weren’t many people present and not much atmosphere in the stadium as a result.

Back then, Haykel Guemamdia opened the scoring about two minutes into the game but the goal came so early and was so unexpected that people hardly celebrated because we were kind of caught off guard by it still didn’t have the opportunity to get stressed at all to want to burst into wild chants or anything of the sort.

Strangely enough, a very similar scenario played out today in Rades with the exception of the amount of fans and the ensuing celebrations after the opener.

Once again our Eagles began the match with great intent. So much so that it only took 27 seconds to score through Issam Jemaa who was beautifully served by an accurate Ousemma Darragi cross. Unlike the last time we played Kenya at home, there was a a real explosion of joy and everyone expected that the goal would have a liberating effect on our players and that we’d be able to build a comfortable cushion thereafter.

However, the exact opposite occurred and it was eerily similar to 2005 when Roger Lemerre’s team contented itself with defending the lead for approximately 88 minutes. While we didn’t quite do that this time, it certainly was just as stressful for everyone involved considering that it was the Kenyans who took took the initiative and began causing us problems in midfield through some slick passing that belied the fact that they were playing without two of their best elements (Oliech and Mariga).

So instead of benefiting from hitting the net with our first attempt, Antoine Hey’s team looked more confident and better on the ball. Nevertheless, we were somewhat unfortunate not to have been awarded at least one penalty kick off of two fouls on Jemaa in the box. Even with that said, they weren’t 100 percent indisputable so not too many hard feelings about them to be honest and we all know that refereeing mistakes are part of this sport we love.

For the most part the fans stayed behind the team and cheered them on even though they were far off their game, both individually and collectively (save Khaled Korbi who was consistently alert and made crucial tackles, especially in the early going).

The Players

Balbouli: Didn’t have too many saves to make but fulfilled his role without making mistakes. If Kenya had been able to turn their ball possession into strikes on goal things may have been different…

Souissi: Had a hand in our winning goal since he gave the ball to Darragi with a quick throw in but as usual didn’t make it very far up the field when we had the ball. Nevertheless, I honestly think the guy is doing a pretty decent job considering this isn’t his natural position. Can’t ask that much more of him right now.

Ghezal: Our captain on the day had a lot of work to do clearing aerial threats when Kenya resorted to launching long balls towards our area near the end of the match but they were all dealt with. Had a great tackle in the second half which was wrongly whistled for a foul. Seif did admit that he should have pushed his team-mates up further to get our lines closer together and employ our press but the fear of leaving space behind him prevented him from doing so.

Jemal: Certainly looks a lot more comfortable in the center of defense than on the left side but we all knew that already. Had some good interventions and his understanding with Ghezzal from their time together at Etoile showed. It’s good to have such complementarity in our defense and we’re lucky that our four main central defenders all know each other well.

Mikari: Showed his speed on a number of occasions but didn’t have quite the same impact he did in Abuja. Fulfilled his defensive role when called upon for the most part and can’t think of any big mistakes in that respect.

Ragued: Made an uncharacteristic number of bad passes but we clearly missed his physical play and commitment as soon as he came off (I’ll touch on this later) even though he wasn’t playing his absolute best.

Korbi: Man of the match honors go to Korbi who was one of the few players on our squad that was able to impose himself physically over the athletic Kenyans. Made the timely tackles when necessary and was running constantly, unlike some of his team-mates…

Taider: He actually didn’t play in defensive midfield like we had thought he would. He was a left sided midfielder but he didn’t even come close to shining like he did in Abuja. Gets credit for attempting a few strikes from distance on rebounds but only for effort, not for accuracy as neither of his shots found their target. One hit an opposing defender on the arm but it wasn’t intentional and no penalty claim was even made.

Ben Saada: One of the players that basically went missing in this match. We expect a lot more from such a highly skilled footballer who has been a game changer at Nice this season. Needs to give more options to his team-mates off the ball and his lack of movement without it was surprising.

Darragi: Perhaps his assist led to overconfidence or he was just tired and not concentrated because the hero of the previous qualifier just didn’t do much of anything after he fed Jemaa for the goal. A sign that no matter how good he is, he still has to learn when to let go of the ball and play simple. That’s a challenge for all good dribblers really and it will come with time and experience. Also, didn’t pressure the ball enough on defense and wasn’t moving to give options to his team-mates when we had possession.

Jemaa: Made up for all of his misses in Nigeria with the winner today but as is almost always the case with Issam, he could have had a few more had he been more ruthless and focused.

Besides for the marvelous header and the missed opportunities he also contributed greatly to ensuring Kenyan defenders had to stay vigilant even when they had the ball. It had to be him that scored too didn’t it? He scored in Nairobi and I’m pretty sure he’s scored against the Harambee Stars in the past before.

Substitues

Fahid Ben Khalfallah: Gave a lot more balance to our midfield when he came into the match in the second half and could have scored a goal even but couldn’t find the target on a nicely taken shot just inside the box. Seemed to want to prove a point that he should be starting in Taider’s place and frankly he just might have gotten his message across…

Showed off his speed more than once too as he blew by defenders and should have had an assist if Jemaa hadn’t failed in getting on the end of his pass.

Jamel Saihi: Largely ineffective as he fulfilled neither of the things he went into the match to do which were to continue the pressure provided by Ragued and also create more link up play with sound passing and movement. Poor outing.

Sofian Chahed: Lively enough but no real fluency to his game. Partly because he wasn’t on the field for that long but also because he went in the main task of helping us conserve the win rather than to push forward for a second.

Coaching

Humberto Coelho and Habib Mejri grossly miscalculated this one. All we were hearing all week is Kenya is coming to defend and we’re going to have to pick them apart but clearly the East Africans didn’t read that memo. They came to play and gave us more trouble than a lot of people expected. You can argue that part of that was the goal we scored which basically forced them to search for an equalizer but honestly I don’t buy that theory since we should be expecting those situations too and have plans for all eventualities.

Biggest mistake of the match has to be taking out Ragued. It basically burnt one of our substitutions. Leaving a guy like Lassad on the bench is also a big question mark. An even bigger question mark is not having Dhaouadi even on the bench available if you need him (seriously, wtf?). I think that not only does Zouheir deserve more respect than that, he deserved to feature in this match too. Furthermore, Mrabet could could have been the guy to go in instead of Saihi too if Coelho insisted on taking out Ragued, which he basically has conceded was a dumb decision (in a more diplomatic fashion of course).

The thing that all Tunisians and even neutrals complain about was once more put on display for all to see: Our lack of audacity and attacking inefficiency. I thought that we were beginning to see glimpses of us overcoming this handicap in Abuja but its clear that you can’t get rid of 6 years of conservative conditioning so quickly, especially if your current coach is not making the right calls off the pitch in a given match.

I don’t want to be over dramatic but there’s serious work to be done in the coming month and it starts on Wednesday versus Saudi Arabia at 19:10 Tunisia Time.

Outlook

So where does this leave us? We scored in the first minute of the match, Nigeria scored in the last minute of theirs and everyone stays in their place. Though its undeniable that being denied qualification in such a fashion was a little tough to swallow (at least for me personally), the most important fact for us remains that Tunisia is still a top Group B with one match left to play.

So as things stand, a win in Maputo next month puts us through hands down. A draw is enough so long as Nigeria doesn’t beat Kenya in Nairobi (wouldn’t count on that but anything is possible) and a loss is unacceptable unless the Super Eagles somehow choke too.

So yes, we missed an opportunity to create more breathing room between us and our pursuers today but we also know that a win against the Mambas is not a stretch for a team such as ours that plays much better and is more focused when we are on the road.

Also, consider this: Today we played what was undoubtedly our worst match of this qualifying campaign. And we still won…

Pictures of the match here and here.

Post match interviews here.

The Winning Goal

In Other News

This is semi-unrelated but worth mentioning. Seif Ghezal was on Dimanche Sport after the game and was asked about Yassine Chikhaoui’s situation. He said that he doesn’t like to ask his former Etoile team-mate too many questions about his health since he doesn’t want to annoy him but from his latest discussions with our maestro’s team-mates, the targeted return date is the beginning of the return legs of the Champions League i.e. the fourth and third of November.

That isn’t concrete and its just a projected return date so this is all speculation but if he came back earlier he’d have an outside chance of being in the list for Mozambique.

Not gonna lie to you and say it can happen for sure because I think its a real long shot but there’s an outside chance. He’d have to have displayed in his club outings that he would be ready for such a rigorous match. Plus its hard to imagine FC Zurich would want to let him go immediately after he comes back.

Anyways, I’m getting too bogged down in ifs and buts. With or without Chikha, we need a win in Mozambique and we’re more than capable of achieving it.

On Sunday at 17:00 Tunisia Time (18:00 CET) we’ll be seeking nothing less than three points versus a weakened but still dangerous Kenya squad. A lot of people are getting caught up in scorelines and I can see why. We want our team not only to win but to impress and widen the divide between us and our direct rivals on goals scored and goal difference to guard against any bad surprises.

However, let us not forget that our primary focus should be to play well and achieve victory. If we stick to our gameplan and make good use of our chances then the goals should follow naturally. The players must implement what Humberto Coelho has been drawing up in training and the fans’ only responsibility will be to cheer on our Carthage Eagles with every breath for the full duration of the encounter no matter how the team performs. Also, lets not fall into the same trap as many Nigerians did, predicting very one sided scorelines. A win is a win and we’ll take it however it comes.

While we’ve all been warning against overconfidence (and that’s a good thing), the flipside of that which hasn’t been mentioned nearly as much is the weight of responsibility while playing at home. If it is not channeled correctly by the players, instead of being a motivating factor, it could have a paralyzing effect. That is where Coelho must play his biggest role as mental preparation will be key.

The match against Nigeria was a match where he won out on tactics. This one will have be one where he wins out on motivation and man management. Thankfully for him, despite the youthfulness of the squad he has built, he disposes of players who are used to such high pressure thanks to their club commitments whether past or current.

Furthermore, everyone is saying the right things. In every interview I’ve heard thus far, the boys in red and white have all been unanimous that this next match will be more difficult than the one in Abuja. Whether that is the case or not is not our concern, the good thing is that they all seem to believe it and are bracing themselves for a tough match versus a respectable opponent. In addition, as has been mentioned before on here, the next match is always your toughest match. That’s a winner’s attitude.

Nevermind the fact that Football Kenya Limited is embroiled in a corruption scandal, that arguably the best player on the team (Parma’s McDonald Mariga) will miss out through injury, or that Antoine Hey has bizarrely overlooked top scorer Dennis Oliech. The bottom line is that on Sunday there will be eleven proud Kenyans facing us and you can bet your bottom dollar (or dinar of course, ha) that they aren’t going to do us any favors. Nor would we want them to.

The Harambee Stars have other weapons (Allan Wanga of Petro Atletico, Czech Republic based Patrick Oboya and others). If you want to know more about their situation I touched on it in the Goal.com preview I wrote.

Meanwhile, there are definitely decisions to be as far as our lineups goes. Let’s take a look at the sectors one by one.

Goalkeeper: Easy choice I think, if we follow the logic of competitiveness like we have been thus far for the most part then Aymen Mathlouthi will start because Kasraoui hasn’t played a match for Lens and Ben Mustapha is on his first call-up.

Defense: With our captain Karim Haggui suspended due to yellow card accumulation who will go in his place? Ammar Jemal or Radhouane Felhi have both been used out of position thus far and could get the nod but one option that is being overlooked is Khaled Souissi. Lest we forget that it is his natural position after all…

So basically that decision will hinge on whether Sofian Chahed will get his first start. I think its somewhat unlikely given how new he is to the team but it would definitely be audacious and he is a lot more comfortable on that side than Khaled is. On the left its Yassine Mikari for sure, we’re going to need his marauding runs up that flank against a densely packed Kenyan unit.

Midfield: A plethora of options here. So many that I don’t think I could go into the many combinations of players we could use in a variety of ways. However, my take is we’ll stick to the three defensive midfielders and then put more offensively minded players in later if we struggle to break Hey’s team down. Let’s not forget that we’ll still need enforcers and players who are good at getting back into position when they lose the ball against Kenya because they will almost certainly be employing a counter attacking gameplan.

So, with that in mind, I think the Taider-Ragued-Korbi partnership will remain. With Darragi, Belaid, or Ben Khalfallah on the right side up ahead of those three and Ben Saada on the left. The right side is a toss up if you consider Belaid’s form and that Ben Khalfallah gave the Kenyan defense fits in Nairobi.

However, in my estimation, I think we stick with Darragi both for continuity’s sake and as compensation for that wonder goal in Abuja. Plus it would make the majority of the fans happier than an alternative would. If we employ only two defensive midfielders it gives us the option of putting him behind the attackers and letting him run the show with either Tijani or FBK to his right. I wouldn’t be against that but it’s hard to guess this one so I’ll refrain from doing so. I would personally love to see Dhaouadi get some minutes as well.

Attack: A lot easier to guess what’s going to happen here I think and I’d be very surprised if Issam Jemaa loses his place. It’s possible we use two strikers this time around but then that would affect midfield and I’m not getting into those permutations… If we follow the assumption there will only be one attacker then Jemaa will be there as he has been throughout these qualifiers when he has been healthy and fit.

We’ll definitely get to see Lassad Nouioui in the match eventually too but I think starting him is a lot of pressure for someone who barely played an international match with us. Better to put him into the match later when he can settle in easily (if we’re winning) or we desperately need a goal (if we’re tied or god forbid… trailing). Ali Zitouni is another option but barring an injury to our two other strikers it’s hard to imagine Coelho will start using him as a first option now.

So there you have it, we’re two steps away from our dream but must not look too far ahead of us. The next match requires all our attention and we must all help in any way we can. That includes you. If you’re in Tunisia and you can attend then please go cheer our boys on and represent those of us who cannot. There’s nothing left to say except good luck to our Eagles and to you I say enjoy the match and Forza Tounes!!!

PS: Photos of training and interviews can be found here.

TN WCB On Facebook: Most of you already know this but we have a page for the blog on FB. We’ve grown to 94 members! Help us get to and past that 100 mark by joining if you haven’t. If you have then please suggest it to your friends via the utility on the page (under the photo). The site has been growing in popularity and I have you to thank for it. So, as always, thanks for reading and offering your valuable insights. Keep them coming!

Video Update

Something to get you warmed up! Special thanks to Wissam11 from Tunisie-Foot.com for posting. Download it here.

Keep in mind that any Esperance players on the list won’t take part in the second fixture as they’ll have a UNAF Cup to play for and will be excused from national team duty.

Goalkeepers: Aymen Mathlouthi, Hamdi Kasraoui, Farrouk Ben Mustapha

Defenders: Aymen Abdennour, Sofiene Chahed, Zied Derbali, Radhouene Felhi, Seif Ghezal, Karim Haggui, Ammar Jemal, Yassine Mikari, Khaled Souissi

Midfielders: Tijani Belaid, Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Chaouki Ben Saada, Ousemma Darragi, Zouheir Dhaouadi, Khaled Korbi, Haythem Mrabet, Houcine Ragued, Jamel Saihi, Nabil Taider

Strikers: Issam Jemaa, Lassad Nouioui, Ali Zitouni

As for the list itself, it’s not devoid of surprises. The most notable absences are that of Amine Chermiti and Alaeddine Yahia who were both rumored to be on it. There are still no interviews from the press conference published yet so it is hard to know why he overlooked both of them, especially Chermiti who got his first goal in Asian Champions League yesterday… I’ll update the post with any more info when it becomes available.

Meanwhile, CAB get their just reward for a fine start to the Tunisian league season as they have a representative for the first time in a long time in Farrouk Ben Mustapha. Esperance’s Zied Derbali also gets his first callup. He’s likely in the squad because Haggui is suspended for this game (according to Mosaique FM). That just means Derbali is taking his roster place, not his starting place… Karim is still called up because he’s our captain and plays an important role off the field, also he’ll probably play against Saudi Arabia.

Two rumors that did turn out to be true were the returns of Lassad Nouioui and Jamel Saihi to the Carthage Eagle setup. The Depo striker still hasn’t hit full stride in La Liga but already has a goal to his name despite this and that is the kind of realism we’re going to need against Kenya where chances will be at a premium since they are likely going to pack it in and aim for a draw. Plus its finally an opportunity for the Marseille born forward to get some real time on the pitch in a Tunisia jersey without the hamstring problem holding him back.

As for Saihi, he just came back from a long time off where he was struggling with a severe ankle sprain but his last match at Montpellier must have been enough for Coelho to judge that the kid is ready to go. Few will forget his fantastic goal against Holland. The question will now be whether or not he will start in either match and if so then at who’s expense? Some real decisions to make in defensive midfield…

Sami Allagui, Chady Hammami, and Bilel Ifa are all out of the squad but for different reasons. The first two were replaced by players who are arguably more talented (Nouioui and Saihi) but the latter is injured. Ifa needs rest pure and simple. He’s hardly gotten any vacation in about 3 years and the patella tendon in one of his knees doesn’t seem to like that. Hopefully Club Africain don’t rush him back…

I’m pleased to see Zouheir Dhaouadi keep his place after the positive effect he had in the little time he was on the field in Abuja. Same goes for Haythem Mrabet. Those guys earned their spots by contributing in such a tough game. Finally, I had doubts about Ben Saada since he missed his last game for Nice but the injury must not be so severe if Coelho included him. Belaid is back too after some good performances for Slavia.

Before you freak out about our coach only calling up three true strikers, just remember that for our last match against Nigeria (which was the best one we’ve played under Coelho since he arrived), we did the same thing.

One can argue Kenya and Saudi Arabia are no Super Eagles but we’re staying faithful to our tendencies. It’s working thus far so I can’t have too many complaints. Only one I can really think of is why no Chermiti? I’ll wait for Humberto to explain that one himself…

I definitely commend our FA and Coelho for turning down UAE and Qatar. No disrespect to them but we need a better measuring stick prior to our Mozambique matchup. Angola would have been a logical choice given that they’re also a Portuguese speaking nation and have some similarities with the Mambas but if you’ve been paying any attention to them recently then you know they’re currently a shadow of their former selves:

The Palancas Negras tied Senegal 1-1 in a match where Manuel Jose said they “were embarrassed” (their goal was scored by a Senegalese defender) and then followed that up with a 1-1 tie versus Cape Verde. I have no doubt they’ll get better with time but at this point they wouldn’t be the best team to face. Same goes with Guinea who continue to be a very poor defensive unit. I haven’t been keeping up with Libya since Faouzi Benzarti stopped coaching them but playing them would remind me too much of the Lemerre era I think. Libyan players are usually very skillful but physically and tactically they have a ways to go…

Saudi Arabia were recently dropped out of World Cup qualifying in heartbreaking fashion by Bahrain and will be looking to put that result behind them. They’ve made great strides since being crushed 8-0 by Germany years ago and if you need any proof you can check out our match against them in 2006 where we were overconfident and ended up tying them.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s coach, Antoine Hey recently made an announcement that the Haramabee Stars will be aiming for a tie when we play them in Rades. Now there are rumors he’s left the team completely but these are yet to be confirmed. In any case, this is a reminder that we shouldn’t only be focused on Mozambique and dismissing Kenya. In fact, we often play better on the road than we do at home so hopefully this is a chance for us to reverse that tendency and just play our game no matter where the match is set. There’s no room for error.

Speaking of the Kenya match, its very likely that it will be pushed back a day. That means it will be played on October 11th, not October 10th. The new date coincides with the Nigeria and Mozambique’s matchup. Not sure if they’ll kick off at the same time though… The Kenyan Federation have already accepted the proposition but, as usual, FIFA will have the final say. Our training camp for that encounter will begin on October 5th and will once again be in Sousse.

Chikhaoui Update

The lack of news regarding our national treasure has been downright upsetting to all of us who know his incredible potential and can’t wait to see him play for both club and country. Yassine’s unwillingness to give interviews or statements to journalists desperately wanting some kind of insight on his health status hasn’t helped matters. However, his coach, Bernard Challandes, has been more forthcoming and spoke to Jawahara FM today. Here’s what he had to say:

“For the moment he’s working really hard with us, he’s in a rehabilitation phase. He still needs some more time, he still feels some pain but we’re hoping that things will be better in a few weeks. It’s still not ok, he’s had two operations and still need to rehab. He’s working really hard and is very serious and we hope that things will go better for him.”

“I don’t think there are any miracles, after the operations he went through, he needs time and a lot of work which he is doing right now. We’re hoping we can recuperate him to play with the team. For the moment he’s doing individual training that goes along with the rehabilitation phase after such an operation but hopefully in this end of the year he’ll be better.”

Not sure what to make of that. It sounds like more of the same and the fact that he still has pain in his knee is worrying to me. I thought the operations were meant to get rid of that but maybe I’m confused. So it’s an update but not a very conclusive one. Nevertheless, it comforting to hear something instead of constant silence. The less we hear, the more we speculate and that’s not a fun pass time when we’re talking about such a talented player who’s career is on the line…

So let’s stay patient and just wish Yassine Chikhaoui all the best in this difficult time of recovery. In the meantime, let’s also stay fully behind our national team and hope they continue to improve and amass the results we need to qualify for next summer’s football showpiece!

Unrelated But Hilarious

I just came across this picture after it being lost in the vaults for a while. I had completely forgotten about it and I think I’ve shared it before but figured I’d just post it again for anyone who needs a chuckle today. Quiz: Where was it taken? It’s not a difficult question but I wonder who’ll be the first to answer…