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Coelho’s First Misstep?

February 4th, 2009 | By: Rami | 50 Comments »

The highly awaited list for our matchup against Holland dropped today and, to put it kindly, it’s not a the most convincing one.

It seems that Humberto Coelho is attempting to counter the Oranje’s highly potent offense with sheer numbers (9 defenders selected, 4 defensive midfielders).

Add to that some shocking omissions and you have a recipe for a disgruntled fanbase. Let’s take a look at the selected players and then move onto the analysis.

Goalkeepers: Hamdi Kasraoui, Jassem Khalloufi

Defenders: Souheil Berradhia, Aymen Ben Zekri, Khalil Chammem, Aymen Demaii, Seif Ghezal, Karim Haggui, Radhi Jaidi, Ammar Jemal, Khaled Souissi

Midfielders: Tijani Belaid, Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Wissem Ben Yahia, Fabien Camus, Houcine Ragued, Jamel Saihi, Walid Ettayeb

Strikers: Sami Allagui, Amine Chermiti, Issam Jemaa, Mohammed Selliti

In detail:

Hamdi Kasraoui: The historically inconsistent Esperance keeper will likely get another shot at redemption. He’s looked much more confident as of late but said confidence is known to come and go with the wind. Hopefully we catch him on a good day!

Jassem Khalloufi: I haven’t been keeping up with his club form so I’m unsure on whether this was wise. I’ve seen him put in some good performances in the past so this doesn’t strike me as such a bad idea. Hopefully he’ll have an African supercup medal to bring home from Cairo with him.

Souheil Berradhia: Everyone knows how good he is, the only thing holding him back from breaking into the first team are injuries.

Aymen Ben Zekri: An important player for Bastia but his performances for the NT haven’t been anything special. Whatever happens I hope he doesn’t play as a side back. He’s too slow and the Dutch wingers will eat him alive.

Khalil Chammem: A true left back and a talented young player. Nice to have him back amongst the boys after contracting Malaria on the trip to Ghana. I’d like to see him start at his position.

Aymen Demaii: The Tuniso-French-Algerian right back better be good if he’s taking Ifa’s place in the lineup. Coelho’s take: “He’s an untouchable at his club, Kaiserslautern, and he is the captain. He’ll be able to help us especially if he acclimates himself quickly.” This player is also capable of playing on the right side of midfield.

Seif Ghezal: No surprises here, he played well against Burkina Faso and deserves to be in the national team when healthy.

Karim Haggui: Lacking some competition but still our best defender on a purely technical level. Usually a lock for the starting lineup.

Radhi Jaidi: An always imposing physical presence who has accumulated a lot of consecutive matches for Birmingham recently. He had some reservations about joining the trip to Ghana but when his heart is in it, he gives everything he has. He’s been through many battles with the NT and will have a role to play in instilling confidence before the match.

Ammar Jemal: Besides being Etoile’s leading scorer, his strength in 1 on 1 duels is an asset. A combative player who rose to prominence when facing Flavio Amado in the Champions League final in Cairo. He hasn’t looked back since.

Khaled Souissi: Perhaps a surprising addition for those unfamiliar with him but as an avid CA fan I can tell you that this callup is certainly merited. He didn’t show us anything in his last time with the Eagles but that was because he was employed as a right back. He really excels as a center back and it is in large part due to his solidity that CA hasn’t taken a goal in 10 straight matches. He’ll have a tough time breaking into the squad at that position but he’s a good player for the future and this callup will only boost his confidence further.

Tijani Belaid: The Ajax target has been pulling the strings in midfield and scoring goals for Slavia Prague. Hopefully the winter rest period didn’t slow him down any.

Fahid Ben Khalfallah: He’s nicknamed “le petit Ribery” for a reason. Didn’t take him long at all to become one of our most important players. If he can replicate his CAEN form in red and white then our chances against Holland improve exponentially.

Wissem Ben Yahia: Went through a difficult period that coincided with the transfer window and approaches from European clubs but now claims to be completely focuses on giving his all to his club and country. Nearly scored against Ghana and will be looking to prove his worth to NT fans once more.

Fabien Bachir Camus: The guy hasn’t even played a game with us but he sounds like he’s definitely a part of our long term plans if you listen to Coelho: “He is a physically strong player who i capable of playing at the same level for 90 minutes. He has a great reading of the game, a criterion that is very important. He still doesn’t have the nationlity but he doesn’t need it for a friendly match and his papers will be ready before we go to Kenya.” Definitely looking forward to seeing this guy if he’s already sure to be in the squad traveling to Kenya!

Houcine Ragued: A Coelho favorite and a deserved callup. His first outings for us were nothign special but ever since Coelho came along Ragued has been bringing his trademark aggression to our midfield.

Jamel Saihi: Solid midfielder who showed some decent touches in Ghana. Can’t judge him on one game though so I’m glad he’s back in the mix.

Walid Ettayeb: An interesting moment to give a player his first international call up don’t you think? I guess Coelho is trying to expand our pool of prospective players by bringing him in. Personally, I’d go with Darragi instead.

Sami Allagui: Leading scorer of D2 Bundesliga. That is reason enough.

Amine Chermiti: He needs no introduction and he’s been scoring in friendlies. Didn’t get a chance to rep Hertha in their win last weekend but hopefully he’ll start getting more chances soon. Indespensable player for us.

Issam Jemaa: While not the most adept at passing and reading the game, he’s always been able to put the ball in the back of the net. Could be effective as a super sub but Coelho could have other ideas…

Mohammed Selliti: I gave him high praise before our match against Burkina only for him to miss our best goalscoring chance. Then did the same agaisnt Ghana a couple months ago. Bizarre decision by Coelho if you consider the other attackers at his disposal (Essifi especially). Coelho’s take: “It’s true that he’s not scoring lately, but he’s an explosive attacker. He has amazing accelerations and most importantly he’s is combative and doesn’t give an inch. This fits perfectly into my vision of football.

Notable Omissions:

Hichem Essifi: The USMO striker scored two on his debut versus Seychelles but hasn’t been called back since despite scoring regularly for his club and drawing attention from Le Havre.

Zouhaier Dhaouadi: A victim of his own position. There’s no space for another winger in the team as he plays the same position as Ben Khalfallah and Belaid. Too bad because he’s playing really well these days. His time will come…

Oussemma Darragi: A player blessed with marvelous technical abilities and a strong lanky frame. His outings with the NT, though sparse, have been positive.

Bilel Ifa: Capable of playing on the left or right side of defense. Deserves to be in the team on the strength of his performances for CA alone but as we all know this is not enough in a national team where there is always another option. In this case it was Demaii. Not too worried about Bilel though, he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and the rest will take care of itself.

Coelho explains the rest:

“Amir Akrout is a good attacker but his qualities do not conform to the playing style we want to develop.” That’s a fair assessment I think. Akrout can put the ball away just fine but his vision leaves something to be desired.

“Ben Fraj’s absence is a technical choice.” So it has nothing to do with him leaving the France match early?

“Alaeddine Yahia doesn’t want to wear the national team jersey and Ben Saada needs to learn to respect the staff.” Not much you can say to that. Coelho is right on both points. Seems that Ben Saada has more of chance of returning than Yahia does but no telling for sure.

Karim Nafti: “His characteristics are incompatible with our play. We want players who fight when they have the ball and when they don’t have it.” Some might disagree but Coelho’s opinion matters most in this case. It’s true the Nafti only plays in one direction sometimes.

Other absences: Jaouhar Mnari, Ali Zitouni, Hamed Namouchi, Radhouane Felhi, Dos Santos, Mohammed Ali Nafkha, Khaled Korbi and plenty more.

Despite some question marks, Coelho has yet to dissapoint in terms of preparation so I will withhold judgement until after the game. We must not forget that there is no such thing as a perfect list. If picking a squad was simple or easy then we couldn’t have such fun debating. So I’ll leave you with some words from the man himself:

“I don’t think I ever thought I could see so much enthusiasm as I see at matches of Esperance, Club Africain, and Etoile. I want to ask these fans to unify behind the cause of the national team. If they do it, they will be the best supporters on the planet. Inshallah we will have 50 000 present versus Holland.”

You heard the man, if you’re in Tunisia get your tickets!

Tags: Group H, Holland vs. Tunisia, Humberto Coelho, Tunisia Football

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 50 comments.

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By Abdullah | February 5th, 2009 at 5:22 pm

Interesting thamer, never heard of him, hope the ftf is watching him.

Posted from Netherlands

By Achraf | February 5th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

I think Fabien Camus will be a good fit for us. He has great speed and skills to be a complete midfielder. He has been playing very well lately and drawing interest from other European teams (Leverkusen, PSG, AS Monaco or Spartak Moscow and Panathinaikos FC). But I dont know much about Demai.

Posted from United States

By Feedi | February 6th, 2009 at 1:48 am

Is Mouihbi a striker and when he comes back?I saw 2 videò`s of him and i am impressed.

Posted from Netherlands

By tounsi | February 6th, 2009 at 5:07 am

the most important thing for Tunisia is to make no dumb mistakes in our defence..every time we play against a big country players like haggui or jaidi deliver the ball so easy right trough the centre which leads to dangerously chances or even goals for the attackers. not that i don’t like haggui or jaidi, but against holland u will get punished for that 100% garantee..
do not forget we play against one of the best or maybe the best attackers in the world.

Posted from United States

By Bassem | February 6th, 2009 at 7:58 am

Doel: Stekelenburg (Ajax), Timmer (Feyenoord), verdediging: Braafheid (FC Twente), Heitinga (Atletico Madrid), Marcellis (PSV), Mathijsen (Hamburger SV), Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers), Van der Wiel (Ajax).

Midden: Afellay (PSV), Van Bommel (Bayern München), De Jong (Manchester City), Mendes da Silva (AZ), Schaars (AZ), Schneijder (Read Madrid), Van der Vaart (Real Madrid), De Zeeuw (AZ),

aanval: Babel (Liverpool), Huntelaar (Real Madrid), Kuijt (Liverpool), Van Persie (Arsenal), Robben (Real Madrid

Posted from Netherlands

By Feedi | February 6th, 2009 at 8:08 am

Stekenlenbur is not doing wel last time.Timmer is one of the badst goalkeeper from holland now.Huntelaar is not scoring any more.Robben is the Messi of Real.Van der Vaart is not doing well last time.Ooijer is slow and Mathijsen make dumb mistakes.Babel is good but never plays.Kuijt is good,esspecially as striker but we use him like winger.Holland is very defensif and pass allot.Sneijder is good and can shoot good but i dont now of he is good last time,i dont think so.Van Persie is good last time.Van der wiel and marcellic are good last time.Affelay too he is damn fast.De Zeeuw is doing normal.

Posted from Netherlands

By tounsi | February 6th, 2009 at 8:53 am

we need to use the speed of our attacking players against the slow defense of Holland.. soo Belaid and Ben Khalfallah must deliver their great passes!!
JUST CAN’T WAIT!!!

Posted from United States

By Fahd | February 6th, 2009 at 10:20 am

Salaam To all Guys,

Rami thanks again for the UP. Have been on a long business trip and did not have the chance to get updated. But…. it seems I am back on the right time :0)

I have a lot of dutch colleagues that I need to see on Thrusday. It is of upmost importance to do well against them next Wednesday :0)

Holland is the best attacking country in the world. Attacking is in their in genes and all people living here love it, including myself playing here during my youth with Feyenoord 18 years ago.

If you want to win or make a chance with holland you need to play very defensive on the counter attack. So being carefull because they are the strongest when the have posession of the ball.

On the other hand if we claim having technical players we need to hurt them were they are the weakest which is in defence. short combinations penetrating the defense can be effective if you play with Chermiti and allagui!!!

The player which we need to watch for is Robin van Persie he is exeptional and wonderfull to watch when he plays football. Furthermore what we can see here is that our moroccan friends in holland are being more and more succesfull in the dutch national teams. Ibrahim Affelay and Khalid boulahrouz represent North african technical football adapted to the attacking tactics of the dutch football school.

As for the match it is a friendly, we need to play attractive football and learn form the dutch football intelligence, but Tunisian intelligence in combination with GLAIB for the country can do miracles ( THAT IS BY THE WAY WHAT THE DUTCH LACK love for their country they are not that nationalistic!!!

Hoop dat mijn Tunesische landgenoten in Nederland het enigszins eens zijn met mijn simpele voorbeschouwing!!

INshallah 2-2 like in 1994 in Tunis (tunisia – Holland) Hamrouni and Roussi, still got the match on tape. Who wants it to be uploaded???

ciao

By Rami | February 6th, 2009 at 11:44 am

Fahd, if you can upload that match that would be awesome! I think we should watch the Russia versus Holland matchup from Euro 2008 and see how to beat them from there. Russia really took it to them!

Thamer, I had heard of Lassad before but never seen highlights. Looks like he has promise. He made it into the A team for a couple minutes last week at an end of a game. Habib Mejri knows about him and is in contact with him from what I’ve read on Tunisie-foot. He could be useful.

Posted from United States

By Rachid | February 6th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

Well Rami, if you watched the Ahly-CSS game, you probably got your answer whether or not Khalloufi is a NT material. Ahly scored first, then CSS equalized. For about 10-15 minutes after that CSS played extremely well and dominated an aging Ahly team. They came very close to scoring again. Then, Khalloufi made a very primitive mistake and accepted a second Ahly goal, a header from so far away! He was extremely slow to react! That goal changed everything and ended up costing CSS the trophy. It’s too bad, but it should be a lesson for us not to go too far saying how great a player is, when that player disappoints when it comes to big games. The examples are numerous, but unfortunately, it keeps happening with so many mediocre names that are being touted as great footballers just because they happen to play for ESS, EST, CA, or CSS. “HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO HIT OUR HEADS WITH A HAMMER, BEFORE CONCLUDING THAT IT HURTS?” I digress!!!

Posted from United States

By Rami | February 6th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

You’re right in that he made a mistake in positioning but he is a young keeper with limited experience. Also, the header was from far out but Flavio was powerful and precise. Plus the defender needs to get to that ball first. The first one was a defensive mistake as well. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a huge Khalloufi fan or anything. I just think he had a pretty good game besides that second goal (he erased a few for sure). I’m sad for CSS. Would’ve been nice to get that supercup and vanquish the memories of Rades… Some other time inshallah.

Don’t worry too much though, he won’t be starting against Holland. Kasraoui will, so perhaps we should worry more? I like Balbouli and Mejri more.

Posted from United States

By Achraf | February 6th, 2009 at 4:05 pm

I like hassan Bejaoui of the CAB, he is a very great keeper and would like to see him make the squad sometime before he starts to get rusty and older.

Posted from United States

By thamer | February 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm

chermiti played 45 minutes today against biefield in league action. i followed it on gamecast and apparently he had a chance to win it in the 88th minute but his shot was saved. the match ended 1-1.

Posted from United States

By Rachid | February 6th, 2009 at 4:46 pm

Rami, Khalloufi is at least 27 years old and that’s not young by football standards. He takes 50% of the blame and the defenders do to, as you rightly pointed out. Coelho needs to be a bit more creative and discover soemone special. Our choices should not be limited to Khalloufi or the erratic (to borrow a term Obama used against McCain) Kasraoui. Essifi has been hot this season, almost scoring in almost every game, so what justifies selecting Selliti instead? He could not make in CA or ESS, hoe the hell can he be expected to make at the NT level? Very poor choice, although I doubt if he’ll get any time to play!

Posted from United States

By bassem | February 6th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

Chermiti looked good today, i saw the game on sport1 dutch pay tv forgein games, and he even had a little moment on the end of the game with chairman Dieter Hoeneß, he had a great chance to score but a couple of inches more and he scored the winner.

He’s stamina looked good and his direct defender was looking tiered at the end of the game. Its good to see him in action again after a while but i still see the sharpness and awarness in Chermiti’s eyes. Of course he’s a little bit affraid for injury’s but still a fox! I realy realy hope, he will be the next Tunisian player that reaches a great club in Europe ( with all due respect to Herta Berlin )He has great potential to become a great striker, even maby one of the best with out any over exaggeration.

I’ve heard a rumor that Arjen Robben almost set a record running the 100m here in the Netherlands i don’t know if its true but Haggui needs to watch out for him. I’ve already heard some comments over here about big blunders of Jaidi ( and we all know he’s not the most reliable defender )So i will keep me fingers crossed the first 15 minutes, we don’t get a quick sad ass counter goal.

Hope that the atmosphere will be great in Rades and the Tunisian players desereve a big moral boost against a country like The Netherlands.

Chermiti hope you’ll play a hell of a game, big hope Aimen big Hope! Finaly a Tunisian player that will come through to the big one’s!

Posted from Netherlands

By Rami | February 6th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

I also think Essifi should be in the squad. Definitely. 27 is an average age for a goalkeeper though Rachid. They can go well into their late thirties and they usually reach their peak around 32 or 33 depending on the player. Not true for all of them I admit. Coelho likes Selliti for his smart runs and toughness. They are good qualities but I agree that they are just not enough to be in the national team. Hopefully he proves me wrong…

Fahd, nice to have you back man!

Glad to hear Chermiti is looking sharp too. Thanks for the update peoples

Posted from United States

By Rami | February 6th, 2009 at 6:19 pm

Yassine Chikhaoui to Manchester City someday? Doesn’t seem too far fetched to me.

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4-4-2.com%2Fdisplaynews%2Fdate%2F2009%2F02%2F04%2Fscheich-von-manchester-city-denkt-auch-an-chikhaoui.html&sl=de&tl=en&history_state0=

Posted from United States

By Abdullah | February 6th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

wouldn’t be a wrong fit Rami, owners are arabs so i think they would take care of him

Posted from Netherlands

By Achraf | February 6th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

WOW! This would be an amazing fit for Chikha, this is his and my dream. I would like to see more tunisians in the Premiere League. Jaidi and Nafti had great success and si is Amr Zaki who is scoring like crazy for his club. The same thing would happen with Chikhaoui, But I just want to see him get healthy for now.

Posted from United States

By Rachid | February 7th, 2009 at 12:27 am

Sorry that I don’t understand German, but why does it say that Chikhaoui’s market value is ZERO? If he is injured and has not played for such a long time, why would any other team be so keen to recruit him? Logic dictates he spends more time where he is to show his stuff before dreaming of attracting the attention of more competitive teams? I know we all love him, but let’s be a bit more realistic about his prospects. Let’s not jump the gun!

By Feedi | February 7th, 2009 at 4:13 am

Robben maybe dont play for REal this weekend he is sick.How old is essifi?

Posted from Netherlands

By Feedi | February 7th, 2009 at 4:17 am

And where he plays?

Posted from Netherlands

By Feedi | February 7th, 2009 at 4:36 am

hichri walid is a defender for Tunisia he playd for Tunisia u23 .http://www.playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=171208

Posted from Netherlands

By Feedi | February 7th, 2009 at 4:36 am

http://www.playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=171208

Posted from Netherlands