World

Africa

Tunisia

Carthage Eagles Liberated at Last

January 28th, 2008 | By: Rami | 22 Comments »

You may read the title and misinterpret and say “wait a second Rami, there’s still another game to play here…” and you’d be completely right. But I’m not referring to us being qualified for the second round as we all know that’s not the case. It’s simply a reference to the fact that we finally saw our boys given the license to attack and push forward which was far from the case in the Senegal match. Although the second half wasn’t exemplary (the last ten minutes especially), we can still be happy with this match for numerous reasons:

1. We got exactly what we wanted and that’s 3 points. Anything less would have been a huge disappointment against what is arguably the weakest team in the group (even if they’re clearly picking up that Brazilian style in the midfield).

2. Santos responded to his detractors (myself included) and finally got back to doing what he does best. He still doesn’t have his legs completely under him but the more he plays the better that situation will get. We’ll forgive that slipup that cost us the fourth goal because the first one was expertly taken and he made it look a lot easier than it was.

3. Yassine Chikhaoui had more freedom in his movements and showed why he’s being scouted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe. I wish I had a video of it but at the end there he was practically toying with the defenders in the corner and showing off his fancy dribbles (to the delight of the crowd).

4. Ben Saada showed that he can contribute quite a bit if he gets proper playing time. He followed his shot and was rewarded when Santos’ follow up strike came off the post and right into his path.

5. As things stand now, we’re first in our group.

6. Despite all the euphoria that followed the match from most Tunisian fans, the players looked calm and collected in all their post match interviews as they know there’s still more work to be done to ensure qualification.

We’re not out of the woods yet but this is definitely a step in the right direction. A draw is all we need to progress but we have been assured that Tunisia will play to win as the staff and players want to top the group because they would like to stay in Tamale instead of having to switch hotels and environments. It’s ironic considering how worried everyone was with the situation in that town but thankfully our guys have gotten used to it and have a good rapport with the Ghanaian fans who come to watch them train. There is a fraternal feeling amongst them as most of the townspeople are Muslim and the players have joined them in Friday players at the local mosque.

Besides that though, you never want to play for a point because that can get you into huge trouble. Better to play for a win and lose than to be surprised by a fluke goal after you defend well all game. Let’s hope we don’t see the same tactics as in our first game because Angola will take advantage of this. They are a strong team that is on an upward swing (just like us in that regard). We have the tools to beat them as we can counter one of their biggest strengths, aerial dominance. Manucho and Flavio are both expert headers of the ball but we all know Jaidi, Haggui, and Felhi are no slouches in that department. Thing is, I really enjoyed watching Saber Ben Fradj today (apart from the stupid yellow he got for time wasting… I think Traoui had a hand in delaying that too though). The lineup is up in the air but things will become clearer soon. I won’t get too far into it as that’s what the upcoming preview is for! For now we can enjoy the victory and rest easy. The hardest is yet to come but if we play like we did today I know we can go far in this tournament. My only wish is that the Carthage Eagles are not forced back into their cage.

Dimanche Sport’s coverage of the match is available via Beurkman while Hannibal TV’s Soui3a CAN is available via Aminnet.

Highlights

Sorry for the crappy quality they keep removing the good ones from Dailymotion. By the way, does anyone else find the Eurosport ad for the African cup that follows these highlights a little strange? Maybe I’m reading a little too much into it but it just rubs me the wrong way.

Look What I Found

I knew it would eventually make it onto the internet. I used to have the video embedded but Dailymotion is taking them down quicker and quicker these days. Go here to get the link where you can download it.

You need three players to guard this kid when he’s on form. Too bad he didn’t manage to finish off the move by dribbling through all of them but this is just a taste of what he can do. I really enjoyed watching him yesterday. BBC makes mention of this move and calls him our “shining light.” Keep it up Yassine!

Update

Here’s another BBC article about English scouts at the tournament. Guess who they mention as a possible target (it’s not a big club that monitoring him but all exposure is positive as far as I’m concerned)?

Tags: African Cup of Nations, Carthage Eagles, Dos Santos, Ghana 2008, Group H, Tunisia Soccer, Yassine Chikhaou

Tunisia World Cup RSS Feed

del.icio.us:Carthage Eagles Liberated at Last

newsvine:Carthage Eagles Liberated at Last

reddit:Carthage Eagles Liberated at Last

stumbleupon:Carthage Eagles Liberated at Last

Comments

By Moni | January 28th, 2008 at 3:52 am

Very surprised that he(Lemerre) played 4-4-2 with Ben Saada behind the 2 strikers , like a no 10 posistion !

Good play, butttttt, Tunisia can do better !!
For Those who know the 2004 Final level of play for example but also the very attacking game in 2006 against South Africa.

Have to say this time the midfield was solid and there was an attacking mindset.

Thats the way we like it …

Posted from Netherlands

By Skander | January 28th, 2008 at 3:55 am

It seems that a lot of Tunisians are never going to forget the ANC 1996, and thus are always going to see games against South Africa as big challenges. In fact, SA is one of the crappiest teams in this tournament (hosting the WC and fancy Brazilian coach notwithstanding) and beating them 3 to 1 is not the long awaited return to form that a lot of people are going to say it is. The second half of the game was terrible, we should have scored 5 or 6 goals but instead spent 45 minutes waiting for SA to score. And we are far from out of the woods. Angola has arguably been playing the best soccer in the group, and they obviously want come out of the group first, meaning we’re not gonna have it easy on Thursday. Add to that the fact that Senegal is certainly going to trash SA (If Elhadj Diouf intends to remain alive upon returning to Dakar), and it’s obvious that were are still far away from the QF. A final question: with Chermiti finally able to play and Dos Santos starting to look like his old self again, who’s Lemerre choosing for offense in the next game?

Posted from Japan

By Moni | January 28th, 2008 at 4:22 am

well I hope for

————————-Balboui(but thats never gonna happen——–
—————————————————————-
Ben Frej———–Jaidi————-Hagui—————-Mikari–
——————————————————————
—————————————————————
———————–Nafti————–Mnari————————
——Chikhaoui——————————————-Jemmaa—-
—————————————————————–
———————————————————
——————————————————————-
———–Chermitti————————Dos Santos——–

Posted from Netherlands

By Skander | January 28th, 2008 at 4:43 am

Why Balbouli? And why drop Ben Saada, he was good as a (pseudo)play maker.

Posted from Japan

By Rami | January 28th, 2008 at 8:05 am

Skander, I agree with you in everything you said. South Africa is in a rebuilding period and were not a legit threat but look what they did against Angola which you rightly pick as the most impressive team in the group. That’s why I thought maybe they were coming into our game thinking they could pull something off. My optimism is simply based in the fact that we decided to play football yesterday. And to answer both your question and Moni’s proposed lineup, it’s not clear if Chermiti will start the game or not: We simply don’t know yet but usually things start to surface a day or two before the game. One thing is for sure, I think he needs to get significant playing time whether he starts or not so that in the case of our qualification he is ready to contribute. Look at Chikhaoui, it took him a full game to get his rhythm (even though a lot of this has to do with how Lemerre deployed him into the lineup). As for the Jemaa/Ben Saada debate, I had alluded to this in my preview for the last game, I would go for Chaouki again. Yesterday’s team has the makings of a typical lineup (best translation I have for “equipe type”). It seems that Jemaa and Chikhoui step on each other’s toes more than they help each other while Chaouki gives Chikhaoui the ball where Yassine likes it and vice versa. Jemaa can succeed as a suber sub, we’ve seen this at club level (last year with Lens).

Posted from United States

By Skander | January 28th, 2008 at 9:08 am

Kasraoui have been very good so far and much better than balbouli, he’s more experienced and when balboli saves a ball he often leaves a return or rebound!. PS all the swedish and english commentators said that Kasraoui have been the best goal so far and that Tunisia is the nation that produces the best goals with the best quality !!!!! Let’s hope the best for Balbouli but he isn’t a competitor to Kasraoui right now!

Posted from Sweden

By Skander | January 28th, 2008 at 9:11 am

“(The swedish and english commentators said that Kasraoui have been the best goalkeeper so far in the tournament and probably one of the best in the continent of Africa and that Tunisia is the nation that produces the best goalkeepers with the best personal quality’s with egypt)” !!

Posted from Sweden

By tamim | January 28th, 2008 at 9:51 am

congratulations rami, very nice win and a very nice picture of the players in the mosque….good luck……..with all the respect, el hadary is the best in afica beside the goal keepers coach at el taraji is egyptian!!!

By marwen | January 28th, 2008 at 10:33 am

finally a good job done by tunisia. I am hoping the same players start the next game. They seem to play together very well

By Rami | January 28th, 2008 at 11:32 am

Thanks Tamim, and you’re right… they don’t call him the Wall for nothing! Nice info about the Taraji goalkeeper coach, I didn’t know that. Kasraoui has been a lot better than I expected Skander.

Posted from United States

By Bman | January 28th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

Rami you mentioned this and i happened to come accross it : http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=30b_1201458558

Its that sick Angolan skill move.

Hopefully Tunisia will keep Angola under control. I loved what i saw against South Africa, lets keep that going!

Posted from United States

By Rami | January 28th, 2008 at 5:55 pm

Thanks a lot for that bman. I’ve watched it so many times since you posted it. Nice find Hopefully none of our defenders are on the end of this kind of trickery on thursday. Actually, let’s just hope the result goes our way. Trickery is always fun to watch!

Posted from United States

By Skander | January 30th, 2008 at 3:26 am

Can somebody look at the lineup for the next game and tell me what the Hell is Lemerre thinking?
http://www.lapresse.tn/index.php?opt=15&categ=5&news=65159

Posted from Japan

By Skander | January 30th, 2008 at 3:42 am

Santos is finally returning to his pre WC 2006 shape, so the first thing Lemerre does is take him of the Team?? This, after 2 years of forcing him upon the team despite his bad performance and the availability of players in better shape. I don’t get it?

Posted from Japan

By borhan | January 30th, 2008 at 6:41 am

the game against south africa was a good step especially for our new young generation however i would have prefered to see zied jaziri in the squad i recon his work rate is magnificant and he is a big hit with the fans back home, however we have to keep the two strikers achikoui and dos santos they were unbelievable together against south africa and keeping them in the starting line-up we are guranteed more goals, i was very pleased with saber ben frej, yasine makari and chaouki ben saada who played very well which shows the class that we have within our squad, i would like to see against angola issam jomma play wide left and amine chermiti involved aswell just to get their confidence up but keep the defence as it is and keep kasraoui in goal or no harm if maybe adel nefzi gets and opportunity also i hope jawher mnari’s injury is not bad because he is very important for us. come on Tunisie we can win the cup just keep consistancy we win 2-1 against angola my prediction achikoui and dos santos score a goal each. xxxxx

Posted from United Kingdom

By Moni | January 30th, 2008 at 2:12 pm

Angola-Tunisia previeuw ??????????????

Posted from Netherlands

By Rami | January 30th, 2008 at 3:32 pm

It’s coming, I’m at work right now. Later tonight I promise!

Posted from United States

By Moni | January 30th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

Its already tonight over here ! hehehe

Posted from Netherlands

By Bman | January 30th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

That preview above seems like an ultra conservative , playing it safe lineup. Appears to indicate that Lemerre may try to risk playing a weaker squad and still handle the Angolans. I do Hope Ben Frej doesnt get another yellow though, Benching Chikhoui should never be done at all!

Posted from United States

By Nabil | January 30th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

I am shocked with Lemere’s decision to put Chikhaoui and Santos on the bench. I understand that it is important to rest players but we are not yet through to the next round. I would have preferred seeing both of them in the starting line-up and then they can maybe be subbed out if we secure a good score. I am sure there is an explanation. Maybe Rami will offer one in the match preview.

All things said, I still don’t believe that Lemere is out to get Tunisia. I still believe that his goal is to take us to the end. So far, he has done a decent job.

Posted from Canada

By borhan | February 1st, 2008 at 4:25 am

we are through to the next round however we have a very difficult game in the quarter final against cameroon, with he biggest problem samuel eto’o how evr i think haggui can keep him quiet and then allowing achikoui and who his strike partner is going to be wether its dos santos or chermiti to do the business in front of goal if lemarre picks a strong line-up and the team perform i recon we c`an go all the way and lift the trophy once again. xxxx

Posted from United Kingdom

By Ameur Bacah | February 15th, 2008 at 5:09 am

Tunisia have ganed lots of experance and having a young team was a good idear buttt roger made a mistake buy not caling jaziri up and benachour to play but we have a good team and in 2010 we will get far

Posted from United Kingdom

Comments are closed