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We Won But…

June 21st, 2008 | By: Rami | 17 Comments »

It was disgusting to watch. I’m not exaggerating, it was downright ugly. The game was ruined by Amine Chermiti intentionally pushing the ball with his hand past the keeper who ended up fouling him. It should have been a yellow on Chermiti for unsportsmanlike conduct but instead turned out to be a red card on the keeper and a penalty for us. The Burundi staff and players were rightfully incensed at the referee and held up the continuation of the match for a full ten minutes. They even threatened to leave the field…

I’m not one to turn down gifts but this is one we could have done without. Once the Burundi players came back, Ben Saada put away the penalty after he had been waiting at the spot the whole time. Good execution but you can say that the penalty decision and the sending off actually complicated our task. Everyone knows that a team playing down a man usually double their effort. Add to that the fact that they knew they had been wronged and you have a recipe for determination. The problem for Burundi is that they didn’t have much skill to go along with that desire to rectify the situation.

Chermiti was once again the villain when he inexplicably decided to shoot from thirty five metres out when he had both Ben Dhifallah and Jemaa at his sides against a solitary Burundian defender. He made up for it when his following shot bounced off the keeper and to the feet of Jemaa who was there for the tap in. The players all ran to Lemerre to celebrate the goal but didn’t get that much of a reaction out of the stoic manager.

It was nearly three to zero when Chermiti’s lunging header clanged against the crossbar. However, instead of finishing the half without mistakes, we got to see another inexplicable defensive lapse from Hammami that lead to a Burundi goal right before the whistle. This was the first goal that Balbouli had ever conceded in national team colors but he really had nothing to do with it.

The second half was uninspired and incredibly boring. Our backline didn’t make any mistakes but our midfielders and attackers seemingly all lost their touch and ability to control the ball or deliver it effectively to a teammate. The entry of Belaid and Essifi (once again no Mouihbi or Ben Yahia) didn’t change anything. It must have been a disturbing sight for the onlooking Coelho.

We wanted a spectacle but instead we got a typical Lemerdian performance. I guess it’s only right we finish things with him in this fashion. If we had scored a lot of goals and played free flowing footall, it would have been a false indication of the state of our team. Basically, Humberto Coelho got to see just how much work he had to do between now and September, when we play Burkina in that pivotal match. I heard he knows who Chikhaoui is… That’s a good thing because I found myself thinking of him a lot during this match. We really need someone who can orchestrate in midfield. Our lack of imagination against a ten man squad as weak as Burundi was depressing.

The only positives are that we came away with the three points and that Lemerre is gone forever. Maybe it’s clear sailing from here. Maybe…

The Goals

If you want to see the full match (trust me, you don’t!) you can go here for the first half and here for the second. If you want to see the summary of the Burundi game that took place in Bujumbura you can check this, I found the highlights.

Les Buts de Tunisie-Burundi
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Tags: Amine Chermiti, Group H, Humberto Coelho, Roger Lemerre, Tunisia Burundi

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Comments

By Rachid | June 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pm

I live in Chicago, so I get to see the game “live” on TV7 in about 45 minutes! I listened to the truly live game on radio Tunis, and it was quite an experience! There were numerous interruptions apparently due to “technical difficulties.” In a stadium like Rades, I have no idea how the national radio cannot get things right!!!

From what I could pick up, it sounded pretty depressing. What the hell is going on? I think l’Etoile, Esperance, or Club Africain could have beaten this Burundi team 10-0! Is this what our national team has been reduced to? That son of a bitch Lemerre did everything he wanted to do to the last game with the team. It’s unfortunate he got away with it.

Thanks for the description. I think Chermiti needs to quit this bullshit. We should not resort to that kind of play, especially against teams like Burundi. I watched some of the Morocco-Rwanda game on ART. They too were given an imaginary penalty! We always blame sub-saharan referees, but both the Egyptian and Algerian referees should really be ashamed of themselves!

By Moni | June 21st, 2008 at 7:29 pm

Tfoee alike ya Chermiti ken inta jouer, also so disgusting when the players where celebrating the penalty. This behavouir is not from real man , but of fucking cheap prostitutes. Sorry rami you mentioned Lemerdian peformance , but I think we cant blame him.
Tunisia always make stupid defence erors. Nafkha just watching the unmarked Burundi striker that scores afters that bullshit rightback Hammami missed the ball in the 16 meter box.
You say playmaker ,that can orchestrate ? we had one benachour !
and I hope Coelho bring him and Jaziri back to the squad they still you and far more better then the some of the hookers in the squad.
also Bousaidi as rightback should be best choice , and not aech match another rightback.
really shame peformance.

Posted from Netherlands

By Moni | June 21st, 2008 at 7:31 pm

Hope somebody break his fucking legs , that son of a bitch Chermiti , ya weld 9haba

Posted from Netherlands

By Rachid | June 21st, 2008 at 9:55 pm

Who the hell is Hammami and why is he in the national team? The saddest thing thing is that all palyers, TV commentators are trying to sell bullshit to the people! That’s the issue I find most disturbing. Everyone is thanking God we got our 3 points!!! Where is the outrage? Does anyone give a damn? Most of those bastards (there are a few exceptions) should be sent to serve one year in the national army. Ben Dhifallah frustrated the hell out of me. I even saw him fall down few times for no apparent reason. Play like today’s makes want to enver again watch this so-called national football team.

By Achraf | June 21st, 2008 at 10:48 pm

When we play weak teams we have to win big, not by one point. Tunisia needs to play like USA, when usa played against Barbados they USA won 8-0. That is the way Tunisia has to play. Coelho, please bring the stars back to Tunisia (Jaziri, ben achour, Nafti) and attack hard against weaker teams. The 23 man roster should be: Balbouli, Nefzi, Bejaoui (CAB) Mikari, Ghzal, felhi, haggui, ben freg, ben radthia,Bekri, Belaid, ben achour, mnari, m.nafti, ben saada, a.nafti, Traoui, Yahia, Mouihbi, Chikhaoui, Chermiti, Jomaa, Jaziri. What do you think Rami? any opinions anyone.

Posted from United States

By Achraf | June 21st, 2008 at 10:49 pm

Oh yea, Rami can you update us on the Coelho Press Conference that will take place in Tunis on monday. I would like to know what he has to say

Posted from United States

By Abullah | June 22nd, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Did tounes qualify for the CHAN next year? plsz let me know!

Posted from Netherlands

By Abdullah | June 22nd, 2008 at 1:26 pm

Yeah Achraf your right, im very dissapointed by the current state of our national team, i even saw saidi on the bench yesterday, he used to play on feyenoord i think he should get a chance to shine, and chermiti was downright terrible yesterday, what an egocentric player he is… 3v1 situation and he shoots himself, not to mention the joke he made by touching the ball with his hand.

But you are right i think coelho should look for only the very best and fit players who actually want to win and defend their country at all costs, that’s what i would do for my country!

Posted from Netherlands

By Rami | June 22nd, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Hey everyone, Chermiti made a stupid decision and I’m sure he knows it. The referee made a mistake and I don’t think he meant to cheat Burundi out of this match. I think he legitimately didn’t see what happened. Amine is young and makes foolish decisions sometimes. He needs to grow up but there’s no reason to get disproportionately pissed off at him and call for him to get physically hurt. Already he got a cleat firmly slammed into the side of his head by a Burundi defender. I’ve never heard him booed like that. He came off to whistles and jeers. Hopefully he learns his lesson. They say that off the field he’s very shy and composed but on it he really lets things get to his head. He needs to keep that in check. For me the only thing holding him back is his decision making.

Rachid, I think that the outrage isn’t there because people legitimately don’t care for the team anymore. What do you expect when Roger Lemerre mocks us by putting in Essifi instead of the in form Mouihbi and starting an out of shape Nafkha instead of the leading scorer in the Tunisian league. His decisions defy all logic. If he did those things and we played well he could get away with it but we play like shit. The fans who stayed home to watch Russia-Holland made the right decision in the end. They need to be given a reason to care again. Lemerre is gone, maybe we can get our team back finally.

I honestly don’t think its a player problem. I think that we have plenty of guys that want to impress and love the jersey. Its just Lemerre has complicated things so much that even the players have been touched psychologically by the situation. They show up at Rades and it’s like a ghost town. The determination doesn’t only come from within. We have to rally around our team now and actually give them some enthusiasm.

As for which players should be called up, it’s hard to get into that discussion without writing forever. All I have to say is this, the players who are most in form at the moment a game is about to be played should be the ones called up. We shouldn’t rely on names or reputations. Coelho has a clean slate and he has an opportunity to completely change the mindstate of this team. I think the future looks positive. We were living under a cloud. A team can’t give everything when there’s so much negativity around it. So much of it stemmed from Lemerre’s decisions, now they are a thing of the past.

Achraf, I’ll definitely be writing about the Coelho press conference. I’m very interested in what he has to say after seeing that disgrace yesterday. I want to hear what his conception of the team is. What kind of style he’d like to implement and what his tactical outlook is. I hope he addresses some of that. The man seems like a warm hearted person who legitimately would like us to succeed. I don’t know him that well but that is my first impression. I hope he proves me right in that regard. He will be a breath of fresh air after 6 years of coldness. A lot will depend on this first press conference. He needs to set the tone for a good relationship with journalists and the Tunisian sporting public. Hopefully he gives us the impression he cares about our opinion. Ultimately he will have to make tought decisions and he cannot please everyone but a smile goes a long way…

Abdullah, we did not qualify for the CHAN. We lost out to Lybia and a lot of it had to do with the fact that we didn’t take this tournament seriously at all. It’s a good initiative in one sense but it also puts a serious strain on our players who are relied upon in the national team. I wrote about it a while back… Mouihbi played and scored in the first game but in the second we ended up losing on penalties after an away goal by Lybia. Mouihbi didn’t play in that game and some people said it was so we wouldn’t qualify.

By thamer | June 22nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm

im probably the only one who feels this way, but chermiti had every right to hit that ball with his hand. i truly did feel sorry for burundi because it wasnt fair that they had to lose a man, but if chermiti thought he could get away with that then he is an incredibly smart footballer. he knew that there was a chance that he would get carded for it and i guess he figured it was unlikely that he would get caught. personally, i thought the linesman would have had a perfect view of it, but even he didnt see, so the refs werent doing their job. although personally, i wouldnt have done the same thing, i’m glad chermiti did that because if he didnt, who knows if we would have scored at all in that game.

as for the game itself, i agree with everyone else, i watched the first half, and after realizing it would finish 2-1, i went to watch the second half of the russia game. i really dont understand how we only beat a team like burundi at home by one goal. in the next round(inshallah we make it) we’ll be playing teams like cote d’ivore or egypt or ghana) thank god lemerre is gone. i can’t wait for chikhaoui to come back because i think his absence is a big reason why we’re playing so poorly. i dont know if it has been planned yet, but it is absolutely neccessary to play a friendly or two before the burkina faso game, because if we dont win that, its unlikely that we will qualify for the world cup, even if we do make it to the next round.

Posted from United States

By Abdullah | June 22nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm

I can’t believe we lost out to libya, i really hope coelho is gonna change alot, because im getting really desperate here!

And i know i’m definatly not the only one.

Posted from Netherlands

By Abdullah | June 22nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm

Also i understand your point of view thamer, if chermiti really knew he would get away with it, then he really is a smart player.

Just like when maradonna scored with his hand because he knew the keeper would get to the ball before him.

Posted from Netherlands

By Rami | June 22nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Just to be clear Abdullah, Lemerre was not in charge of the team that went out to Lybia. It was the Olympic squad and it’s managed by Mondher Kbaier. The club in Tunis really didn’t want us to qualify because it would have put a big strain on their players and that hurt our chances…

I don’t know if the handling of the ball makes Chermiti smart. Maybe it makes him clever and sneaky… I guess that’s splitting hairs though. I’m just saying, next time something messed up happens to our team in sub saharan Africa with a wack referee maybe we shouldn’t scream so loud… The margin of victory was small and that “goal” was it. Even Seif Ghzel said the penalty and sending off actually had a negative effect on us because it motivated Burundi. Whatever, I’ll take the 3 points. We were one mistake away from tying that match yesterday and that’s really disturbing.

Mr. Coelho, good luck!

By Abdullah | June 22nd, 2008 at 5:04 pm

You have a real nice way of putting it!
Also i didnt know it was an olympic squad :O , but it seems well tought about.

Posted from Netherlands

By marwen | June 22nd, 2008 at 6:20 pm

Well, I can’t really comment much on the game since i didn’t watch it.
I think that when dos santos is in form, that the new coach should call him to play.
with the new coach i think we will play a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-1-3-2 or 4-2-3-1

By adam | June 24th, 2008 at 6:21 pm

hi, my name is adam and i am a fan of tunisia. Its been a long time i`v seen them play. infact last time was in the world cup of 06.i did see the game against burundi and was not happy. for one thing what happend to jaziri or santos or nafti or haggiu? what happend? and who are these new people? im only 12 years old and live in america. many relitives are from tunisia inculing my dad.I wish to play on the international team. but if someone could please answer my qustions!!! i would really appritiat.

By Rami | June 24th, 2008 at 8:27 pm

Welcome Adam I’m sorry your first experience of watching Tuinsia since the world cup happened to be this disappointing game. As for the players you mentioned here’s the deal:

Jaziri is playing in Kuwait now and hasn’t been called up since he moved there. He’s gotten a little older and from what I hear he’s not training very regularly with the team there. He comes to training when he wants and doesn’t when he doesn’t feel like it. Not exactly the attitude you’re looking for. He gave a lot to the team but we have good strikers who can take his place (Chermiti, Mouihbi, Akrout and others). If he’s back in shape he could still be called up but since I think we are looking more towards younger players now as they are the future. We won’t forget what Jaziri did for us of course. He could still make a return, it just depends.

Santos has been out of shape because he doesn’t get very much playing time at Toulouse. The coach there doesn’t like him and leaves him on the bench all the time. So he needs a new team where he can get back in form. He might be signing for Grenoble. He could definitely return.

Nafti had a little injury but nothing serious. He’ll be a back and same with Haggui who a surgery that was not very invasive. Haggui is still one of the pillars of the team.

I hope you can fulfill your dream of playing for the team one day my friend. If I’m still writing maybe I’ll be writing about you! hehe, keep practicing and stick to it. It’s worth a shot!

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