Tunisia vs. Seychelles: The Preview

On the eve of our match versus the Seychelles only one thing is certain: There will be no shortage of motivation tomorrow. After coming away with zero points against Burkina Faso, winning is our only option if we want to keep our chances of topping the group.

An entire nation is suffering from a bruised ego and we are looking for a reaction from the players to get our qualifying campaign back on track. If the points up for grabs aren’t enough impetus, the fact that our next coach, Humberto Coelho, will be watching from the stands should ensure that everyone fights tooth and nail to get a positive result. His presence should provide us with a much improved level of effort as everyone will be trying to make an impression on the new boss.

This is not our first time in beautiful Seychelles. We played them in qualifying for the past African cup and beat them convincingly both home (4-0) and away (3-0). Here’s another video from the trip. Apparently their team has changed a bit since then so maybe those results are not a good indicator of their current level. They also started with a loss (1-0 vs. Burundi) but we cannot underestimate them. We already saw what such foolishness can lead to.

The match will be played on a synthetic surface that the players have been trying to get accustomed to for the past few days. The elevated heat and humidity will be another factor working against them. In such conditions, physical readiness will be crucial. Last time Lemerre put out a lineup that was not in top shape and it showed on the field and in the result. On Radio Tunis, they announced this as the possible lineup:

————-Balbouli –————-
Hammami - Felhi - Jaidi - Mikari
————Mnari—Nafkha————-
Mouihbi — Ben Saâda – Jomaâ
————-Ben Dhifallah————-

The person who announced this was basing it on training sessions so it makes me skeptical. Before the Burkina Faso game, reporters had come away thinking Mouihbi would start and they were relying on the same method. Then he wasn’t even on the bench! So even though it’s a more competitive lineup (I would put Ben Yahia in Mnari or Nafkha’s place but thats just me) this is nothing more than an educated guess. As we’ve seen before, Lemerre is notoriously unpredictable and almost always relies on the three defensive mids. Will he abandon this tactic in favor of attack? Will he turn his back on Karate Kick Kasraoui? Allahu A3lam.

To the players we can only say this. Forget about Lemerre, forget about your personal interests: Think of your country. We just want to see some passion. I don’t think that’s asking too much.

Just a reminder: the match begins at 2:30 Tunis Time. It should be showing on ART Sport and the domestic version of TV7. I’m crossing my fingers that Koora Tounsia has a feed on Sopcast.

Allez Les Aigles de Carthage!

In Other News

Kamel Zaiem just signed a three year contract at Partizan Belgrade! Is it just me or did that come out of nowhere? I wasn’t even aware they were in discussions. He’s going from one rivalry (Club Africain and Esperance) to another legendary one (Partizan and Red Star Belgrade). I don’t know what to make of this but I wish him all the best! I’ve always been impressed with his vicious shot and accurate free kicks. Hopefully he finds success. He just got engaged and now he’s going abroad, seems like things are working out for him… Inshallah bitawfik ya Kamel.