I’m dying to know what they wil decide on Monday, happy to hear they’re planning to sweep out all the rotten apples in the FTF and reorganize it.

Tomorrow Lassad may get some minutes again(he might even start) against Atletico Madrid who are not doing very well and conceding a lot of goals this season.

http://www.deportivo-la-coruna.com/n-news.php?cid=2447&ctg=4

&

http://www.deportivo-la-coruna.com/dlconnect.php?match=154

Posted from  Netherlands

Ah Achraf if he’d only hear you saying that, fact is Tunisians are hardheaded and they only learn when they mess up, much like the saying of a child burning his hand before knowing not to touch a hot stove, we’ll recover from it but untill then i’ not expecting much with all the changes we’ve been through.

Posted from  Netherlands

Hey guys, look at Tunisia’s official FIFA page. You’ll notice something interesting next to “Coach”

http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=tun/index.html

Posted from  United States

Wow, where did they get that info from, and so quickly? I guess that makes Benzarti official, right? Let’s hope so!
I’m expecting l’Etoile to win Sunday, assuming Khaled Sassi knows what he’s talking about. He’s been promising nothing short of a win. I don’t expect CA’s inability to score goals to change dramatically, and against Etoile in Sousse. I think it’s time for us to start kicking “battouta” again!

I think Mouihbi is going to get us scoring again so long as he plays and Otorogo might finally start being Otorogoal. He’s been killing it in training apparently. We’ll see though. It’s gonna be a fun match to watch because there’s a lot riding on it for both teams and the rivalry makes it hot no matter what.

As for Benzarti, it’s pretty much official. FIFA wouldn’t change that unless they were advised to do so by someone in the federation. I don’t think they rely on news reports to update stuff that is that significant but perhaps I’m wrong. I mean I reported the news for Goal.com and its been posted on Al Jazeera, ART, everywhere. Weirdest part about it though is that Benzarti said today he hasn’t gotten a call from anyone and that he’s been hearing the stuff on the news just like everyone else. He did say he’d be happy to accept such an important duty and that he’s been waiting for a Tunisian to coach the team for 15 years. This should all be settled on Monday.

I think the FTF is biding its time until then because there is going to be a lot to look into at that meeting and they want to come out of it with something positive to give to the masses instead of “hey, this guy is quitting, this guy is quitting, and I’m staying but I might quit.” Even though I’d love for it to be dissolved it might not happen. If it doesn’t, I hope that committee of footballers thats going to be put together really take their job to heart and put together a serious report on necessary improvements.

Posted from  United States

Tunisia should not just think that they should get through to quater-finals in Africa cup 2010 that should think that they will win this and they should win it…..because of our dissapoinment agaisnt mozambique and that we didn’t qualify to the world cup 2010.
If we win Africa cup 2010 i would be very happy and maybe forget about that we aren’t in World cup 2010.
But we should win no matter what…..and inchallah we will with Faouzi Benzarti!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Post

Posted from  United States

http://www.atdhe.net/10520/watch-deportivo-la-coruna-vs-atletico-madrid Deportivo Game

Posted from  Netherlands

Adam, I understand you wanting us to win. We all want to win but it’s going to go match by match. Wa7da wa7da lel final Even Benzarti himself said this is a really tough group (Rabah Saadane said the same thing, he said Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon’s groups are the most difficult): http://www.goal.com/en/news/815/african-nations-cup/2009/11/20/1637710/future-tunisia-coach-faouzi-benzarti-group-d-is-tough

http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2009/11/21/1637746/algeria-coach-rabah-saadane-optimistic-about-african-cup-of

Mark, thanks bud. Glad you enjoyed it.

Abdullah, appreciate the link. Looks like I missed some goals already.

Benzarti met with two federal members today and it’s officially official. He’s our coach! http://www.mosaiquefm.net/index/a/ActuDetail/Element/8863-Officiel–Faouzi-Benzarti-prend-les-r%C3%AAnes-interview-exclusive.html

He’ll be on Mosaique FM shortly to give his first interview as head coach. I’ll be listening and will report what he said. He might touch on who’s going to be his assistant and other details like that. He’s still Esperance coach too btw and will still be after the African Cup. I’m interested to hear how long the contract runs for…

Posted from  United States

I am watching BKF, GdB-VAFC and he had a great assist. 0-1 in advance. I got so sick and tired of missing games or watching them on Justin, got myself a decoder today that has all ART, Aljazeera and sport 1 till 6 open . My wife went crazy, more soccer on tv.

Till so far he is playing a great game!

Haha, that’s funny Bassem. Mabrouk the new decoder Fahid isn’t really appreciated by a great deal of our countrymen (or there’s a minority that’s just very vocal about it). I have mixed feelings about him… It might be unfair because he took Darragi’s spot in the lineup and didn’t do anything at all in that decisive game. However, I think his attitude is a little questionable when it comes to his relationship to the national team. I don’t have enough info to make a conclusive opinion about it but there’s just something about him sometimes that doesn’t sit well with me sometimes. He seems to have a sense of entitlement (saying he was one of the pillars of the team in a FIFA interview when he’s not quite that) which is a problem in our team at the moment.

I want Faouzi to pick only players who are hungry now. That means majority Tunisia based players with a few expats who are down to fight tooth and nail for the flag and not just for more money. This may be a simplistic view but I just think it’s time to give youth a chance and Benzarti is well known for relying on the best assets no matter their age. The young players in our team happen to be ones who are in Tunisia and the other potential ones are mostly there too.

Mosaique just aired part of the interview, not that much new but he’s our coach and it will be announced officially by the FTF themselves on Monday after their meeting. The reason they didn’t do it yet is because the FTF’s fate isn’t clear yet and will only get less blurry after their meeting. Benzarti doesn’t want to coach us only for the ACN, he made it clear to them he wants a long term contract. Can’t blame him after he coached us for only 24 hours during the 94 African Cup. He’s a lot more experienced now and won’t let that happen. Mosaique rates his chances of getting a multi year contract at 90 percent. He came out of the meeting with the FTF smiling and in a good mood so that’s a good sign.

He said he doesn’t know which assistant he’d pick but he’ll be picking it and not the FTF.

Posted from  United States

So Rami, Faouzi Benzarti can just be 1 year as our coach……………?

It’s unclear actually. They just said he wants a “long term contract” but there was no definition of what that meant. He basically doesn’t want to get the reins for the ACN and then have them taken away. Judging him on the ACN alone would be unfair because he hasn’t had time to build anything. He still might do well but the ACN is tomorrow and he hasn’t had time to put anything into place. The psychological work he has to do with the players is the most important and that doesn’t happen overnight. Not to mention getting them to actually play well together…

Posted from  United States

FBK does have the potential to become a pillar in our team though, i mean wich other player posseses skill and speed like him on the RM side, and its true he shouldn’t have replaced Darragi but thats questionable too, imo it was Jemaa who should have been left out so in that sense it was Jemaa who started instead of Darragi, FBK just didnt have any options up front.

But when he does he can bring so much more, i dont know maybe he’s right maybe he thinks he(and a few other players) have a good chemistry so thats why he said that, i don’t think he should say he’s entitled to starting because fact is he hasn’t been consistent enough, but he didnt say that,on the other he is starting to be quite consistent, i think Tunisians overall have a lack of respect towards players like him because they feel they’re not Tunisian enough bc of them not beeing born there and not speaking the language at all/very well, we’ll see if he keeps up the good work.

Good news on Benzarti, i hope he takes charge of our NT like he did with Taraji, i really don’t want these diplomatic rich pricks sticking their noses where they don’t belong again, who is the best candidate for the job of assistant trainer, maybe his Esperance assistent?

Posted from  Netherlands

Skills wise i hear u on fbk Abdullah but playing under benzarti might be a shock to him though because under him no one is guaranteed anything. We’ll see.

Kanzari cant be the assistant though. He’ll have to take care of esperances training sessions etc. while Benzarti is with the NT.

Posted from  United States

Hi guys,
Glad that you guys still blogging away after that disapointment,i must admit it took me a few days even to read any news on what’s happening right now,but however rami,bessam,abdullah ,adam,and the rest of you guys doing just well keeping us up to date,so welldone there.
although there’s a confusion on whether binzarti’s our boss or not there’s only one thing’s for sure the next coach will be tunisian inshaa allah.
For these who think that just by appointing a new coach tunisia will all of a sudden be a passing creative team as we all wish is actually mistaken,but one think’s for sure they will have more grit about them and improve to get rusults as i believe that’s what matters at the end of day, we might have to scrup results sometimes by any means,as for our CAN group i do not think is very difficult as the media makes it to be as i belive we have what it takes to play these teams (we know them & they know us).
the only think is for the new coach whoever might should not go for a total change of the team just for the sake of it but should built on what he has progressivly.all 5yr inshaa allah

Posted from  United Kingdom

Rami is spot on

Basically Benzarti has to overhaul everything.

We have had an era of foreign managers and conservative football. Tunisians must bear in mind that it will take quite some time for a new philosophy to take hold let alone potentially having to integrate a number of different players. Lemerre had two years to prepare for the 2004 ANC whilst Benzarti has just over a month viz a vi Angola 2010.

Benzarti is a superb manager but he is not a magician, I hope for a quality ANC but the focus should really be building a NT that will truly reach the next level in 2012 and beyond.

It’s spoiled brats that FBK that failed us in Mozambique. How soon we forget! I have faith Benzarti will not stand for that kind of BS. That’s the only hope left. At the exception of Balbouli and Darraji, no one has been more than an average player in the NT. We made that very evident in the one game that counted. The bubble burst on Nov 14 and we should not start over rebuilding things on false expectations. You will see how difficult it’s going to get at the next CAN. We cannot afford to show up with a mediocre team expecting we’ll make it to the final. Those days are long gone. Morocco did not even make it to the CAN not because they have a shitty team, but mostly because a lot of other better teams emerged in Africa. That’s what we have to understand so that we remain competitive! So, please refrain from boasting about the likes of FBK, Ben Saada, and whoever else happens to be sitting on the bench in Europe.

I guess there is some truth to this, if not entirely true!

http://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=20490861

lens were 0-1 down. Jemaa got subbed in to the game after 77 minutes and scored a goal (81′) and Monet-paquet scored the second 6 minutes from the end.

Posted from  Sweden

I respectfully disagree Rachid, Ben Saada, Belaid, Saihi & co. maybe but FBK no, it’s not boasting or bragging its realism and the fact is the guy is skilled and has proven that on multiple occasions, sure we shouldnt use him if we have anyone better at his position, but do we?

Posted from  Netherlands

IMO clean slate for all.

New era, those whom preform from this day forward will have the honor of forming the new core of the NT and those that don’t can watch on TV like the rest of us.

Good to see that Benzarti is officialy our Coach, We have been waiting a while fot this to happen!!! I hope he brings a more fun to watch attack to the NT.

Lassad Nouioui had an amazing game today even though he did not scored. If he keeps playing like this, he will become something big in Depor!
http://team-tunisie.net/video+Lassad+Nouioui+146

Achraf he’s almost back in shape, i think he can do much better still, good to see progression though, they’re not really using him as a nr9, more a playmaker, it’s either him or Valeron.

Posted from  Netherlands

yea, hopefully lassad is in top shape and form by the time the CAN comes. i think he’s too skilled not to start, but only when hes in form. it’d be nice if benzarti could find a way to fit lassad darragi and dhaouadi in the same team.

Posted from  United States