Nigeria 2-2 Tunisia: Carthage Eagles Soar In Abuja

This encounter was really something else. From the buildup that began ever since we failed to overcome Nigeria in Rades to the action on the field, the timing of the goals, the manner in which they were scored and the final result itself.

Make no doubt about it, today we witnessed something special. Something we will remember for a long time. A reference for this generation of players and supporters. This is the Tunisia you tell your kids about.

I honestly don’t think that’s an exaggeration. We played a heroic match against a strong opponent and overcame some tremendous obstacles on our way to achieving a result that has positioned us well for a much desired place in next summer’s World Cup.

Above all else what impressed all Tunisians was the heart and the never say die attitude of our players who managed to respond from two massive setbacks in the most composed way possible.

Truth be told, this match could have easily ended in a win for us if we had been a little bit more efficient with our scoring chances. That’s not a complaint, just a fact. We had more than one opportunity to put this thing away but that’s also what ultimately made our comeback even sweeter and more meaningful.

On the whole of the match, it would have been incredibly cruel for us to leave Abuja tonight without having anything to show for our efforts but it really did come incredibly close to being the case.

So much about today’s match could have gone awry for us if the player’s hadn’t exhibited a great deal of maturity, mental strength, and tactical application. Not only did they cope with their adversaries well but they also behaved like true professionals when facing adversity.

Unlike the reverse fixture which ended goalless and was bereft of clear cut scoring chances, this game was end to end stuff that will have surely pleased any neutrals who happened to be watching.

The Players

Aymen Mathlouthi: Prior to the match, there were quite a few people that were unsure about this decision but that is really more of a credit to Kasraoui and a testament to his improvement than it is a slight against our number one today.

Coelho made the change given that Mathlouthi has been getting more games with Etoile than Kasraoui has with Lens which is a completely legitimate reason. Mathlouthi repaid the faith put in him by controlling practically every aerial threat he faced and making a crucial save (Eneramo’s shot from distance after he had given Nigeria the 2-1 lead).

I don’t think he bears responsibility on either of the goals we conceded. One was a close range blast into the roof of the net and the other was from an even closer distance. Of the two, I think he would’ve done well to at least get a reflex save on the second one because it really didn’t go far from his arm but we’re splitting hairs at this point.

Khaled Souissi: One of the players at fault for the second goal but ultimately gets respect for putting in a very solid performance guarding one of Africa’s best left backs. Even managed to get up the field a few times which was hardly the case in Tunis. It’s still not his position but he’s getting better at it with every outing. Eventually we’ll need a real right back though to make us a viable threat down that side.

Had a bit of a scare when I saw him laying on the pitch without any opponent having touched him. I wonder if he played while still fasting. I doubt it but it definitely looked like exhaustion rather than an injury. Props to him for soldiering on regardless.

Karim Haggui: Impeccable stuff from our captain. Those steady minutes he’s getting at Hannover make a world of difference. Made some really important tackles including a clearnace on Uche in the 39th minute to keep things at 1-1 when the Zaragoza player had no one but Mathlouthi in front of him. Also, gave the initial pass to Dhaouadi on the last play that eventually lead to the goal, smart clean play instead of a hopeless ball up field that he could’ve easily resorted to at that point.

Seif Ghezal: Got smoked by Odemwingie on that first goal along after the Nigerian blew past Khaled Korbi but didn’t let that affect the rest of his performance which was stellar. Didn’t get the goal I had the feeling he would in this one but the fact that he played an important part in ensuring we didn’t concede any more than we did is commendable.

Yassine Mikari: Fantastic match by the Sochaux starlet. From start to finish he was causing trouble on that left flank. The only time I found myself upset with him was when he made that errant cross with the clock winding down when we were trying to come back from 2-1 down.

His marauding runs are a big reason why we didn’t have to defend constantly and also were an indication to our hosts that we weren’t going to be satisfied with letting them take the initiative. Was forced to pay for his skillful plays a few times as he was tackled hard but to his credit he got back up each time and went at the Nigerian defense with the same resoluteness. Great nutmeg on Uche too.

Houcine Ragued: Lots of doubts surrounding his participation prior to the match but he ended up taking part nevertheless. Worked tirelessly in midfield and ensured that our opponents didn’t have as much time on the ball in dangerous areas as they would have liked. Came close to making a monumental mistake in the 55th minute when his poor control led to a Nigeria interception which could have ended with Uche scoring. If you take into consideration that he was just coming back from an ankle sprain and barely passed fit, he still did his job admirably.

Khaled Korbi: Missed a tackle on Odemwingie on the first goal but brought that aggressiveness and vivacity that was key to our high press which worked almost to perfection for the majority of the encounter. We were visibly less solid in that domain when he came off injured. It didn’t look pretty either, I hope there’s nothing serious with his knee. I’ve really grown to appreciate what this player brings to the table.

Nabil Taider: Though deployed as a defensive midfielder he really contributed a great deal to our attacks with good passing and movement. Nothing he did in the match could overshadow the thunderbolt he released from his left foot immediately after the Super Eagles had opened the scoring.

He didn’t even give any Nigerians time to celebrate and enjoy their goal properly. As fine a long distance strike you’ll see in these qualifiers, Africa and beyond. And all this in his first competitive outing in Tunisian colors (which suit him so well). Added a nice kiss of the crest for good measure, that’s the way to introduce yourself to your country! The FIFA rule change on switching national team allegiances sure is convenient eh?

Chaouki Ben Saada: Didn’t reproduce the astounding displays he’s had with Nice recently but still was classy and had a nice dribble move during which he displayed his newly developed strength. He worked hard during the offseason to improve that aspect of his game and its great to see it paying off for him.

Ironically the time away from the team due to his problems with Coelho after missing the Ghana encounter may have afforded him to spend more time bolstering his physique. That’s just conjecture but its funny how things workout sometimes. Made things harder on Jemaa at one point with a badly dosed pass on a wasted breakaway but gets credit for trying to make the right decision on the play.

Ousemma Darragi: Looked a little out of his element at times on the right side since he’s so used to running things in the middle and being allowed to roam wherever he wants but fulfilled his role well even though we know he’s capable of doing much better in that sense. Still, he had a part in the first goal we scored, he received a pass, beat one defender gave the ball to Jemaa who laid it off to an unforgiving Taider. Had some fine solo runs too where he showcased that ball control but really should’ve passed to a wide open Ben Saada in the 65th minute when he whiffed badly after deciding to go it alone from far out.

Lest we forget, the man they nickname Picasso provided the moment of the match with his 90th minute finish from a nearly impossible angle. Another player would have shot that or passed it as soon as it came to him but not this guy. He didn’t even touch it until he decided what he was going to do, as if he knew full well that an opportunity such as that one was not going to fall to him again. He steadied himself, took his time and dispatched what could be the goal that qualifies us in the most cold blooded and ruthless fashion. Simply magnificent.

Issam Jemaa: Say what you will about his misses, his presence is the reason we were even able to execute our gameplan, period. He gave us that attacking depth that we were sorely lacking in Tunis and worked his ass off in all facets of play as usual. I’m not saying I didn’t plead with him to be more accurate with his numerous looks at goal but any striker can have such a match.

So glad we finally figured out that he’s a center forward and not a winger or else he’d still be driving me crazy like he used to. Defenders really hate playing against the guy and you can see why, his motor makes him a hassle and he’s constantly moving to lead our high press or to get in behind defenders when we have the ball.

Substitutes:

Haythem Mrabet: Came in at a difficult time and his inexperience on the international stage showed initially. He looked a little out of place and unsure of his responsibilities at first but eventually settled into the match nicely. Did well to attempt an audacious chip pass to Darragi at that game defining moment. Many players wouldn’t have taken that risk but his decision paid off in a very precious goal. A big confidence boost for this player who we might have to rely on more if Korbi’s injury is bad, which we all hope its not inshallah.

Radhouane Felhi: I thought that taking Taider out was a little curious to be honest. And bringing him off for someone who isn’t even a defensive midfielder was even weirder. I know we’ve experiment with Felhi in that role before but I’d rather have seen Hammami instead because he brings more with the ball at his feet than the former Etoile center back does. Can’t judge the Bundesliga 2 representative very easily since he didn’t see much of the ball.

Zouheir Dhaouadi: The kid’s so fast that we didn’t even see him get substituted in! Seriously how did the cameras not catch that? I guess its because it came right after Eneramo’s goal but still. One second it was Ben Saada on the field and the next its Zou right in his place doing his thing. Gave the initial last minute pass to Mrabet that eventually landed at Darragi’s feet and celebrated in fine fashion too (rewatch that if you didn’t notice).

Coaching

What a difference between Coelho and Amodu’s expressions throughout. Besides for the Felhi substitution I really don’t think he put a foot wrong. Of course its easier to say that from our vantage point. I’m sure he had his reasons. In any case, the work him and Mejri put into the Sousse training camp showed. He stressed faster transitions and that’s exactly what we saw. You can’t ask for much more than that if you consider the very limited amount of time he had on his hands.

Also, a special salute to Coelho for realizing that Mikari just had to play. That’s the difference between him and a Lemerre who is blinded by his unyielding faith in a destructive approach to the game. Coelho learned from the mistakes he made in Rades and wasn’t going to repeat them. Not to be overlooked was his consistent encouragement even when we were missing chances and especially when we went down for a second time. He kept believing and eventually we were treated to his touching and truly genuine celebration that has endeared him to any of our countrymen who still weren’t completely sold on the Portuguese manager.

Final Thoughts

There’s definitely room for improvement and it begins with us believing in our own ability of playing attacking football from start to finish. For too long we’ve been pigeon holed into this identity of a defensively solid team. We all saw today what a well balanced team is (for the majority of the encounter), that’s what we’re going to need to win our next two games and we must not let our guard down.

The key for Coelho is to carry this momentum forward and to build on this gutsy performance. Our players showed a level headed-ness beyond their years by refusing to stop playing football when others would have lost hope. There’s two matches left and plenty of positives to take away from this result but we all hope the best is yet to come from this side. Kenya and Mozambique aren’t just gonna lie down for us. With this team though I have every confidence that we will do everything we need to in order to give ourselves the best chance of fulfilling our goal. That’s not something we used to be able to say not so long ago…

Post Match Coverage & Analysis: Belmakchouf’s look at the game here.

Player Reactions here.

Photos and Audio here.

Standings here.

Download the match here (Chawali commentary).

Highlights

Tunisian Goals

Below is an embedded look but if you’re in Tunisia and can’t access dailymotion check here for Taider’s and here for Darragi’s.

Nabil Taider

Ousemma Darragi