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Yassine Is Back!

April 26th, 2009 | By: Rami | 20 Comments »

I could’ve just let Onyekachi Okonkwo say it for me but I didn’t know what else to call this post.

Today Yassine Chikhaoui played the last 15 minutes of FC Zurich’s 3-0 win over Young Boys and according to what I’m reading on Tunisie-Foot is that the fans were cheering his name as he warmed up and gave him a big ovation.

More importantly, Chi5a hasn’t lost any of his magnificent skills. That’s fantastic news for our national team and it’s just in time too. Right as we’re coming into our June qualifiers versus Mozambique and Nigeria. Expect him to be included in the squad for our May 27th friendly versus Sudan.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of this player. We’ve fared rather well without him but he brings an extra touch of class that really reflects well on the entire team. He has the ability to lift the level of those around him.

We’ve been waiting over a year for this. Hopefully this is well and truly the end of the difficult period of doubt that Chikhaoui had to go through throughout his rehabilitation which was originally meant to sideline him for six months.

PS: I’m really upset I didn’t get to see his return with my own eyes yet. I’m searching for video of the match and will post it as soon as I get my hands on it. For now just the knowledge that he played will have to do I guess…

Update

You can watch the video here or download it here. Great to see him on the field!

CHIKHAOUI IS BACK (26.04.2009)
Uploaded by zizo04

Tags: Carthage Eagles, FC Zurich, Group H, Onyekachi Okonkwo, Tunisian Football, Yassine Chikhaoui, Young Boys

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Comments

By Abdullah | April 26th, 2009 at 4:22 pm

All i can say is: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Posted from Netherlands

By Feedi | April 26th, 2009 at 4:26 pm

I am happy that he is back.I hope he is going to play versus Sudan.
Did Ben Saada play well?

Posted from Netherlands

By Abdullah | April 26th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

Yeah i would like to see Ben Saada’s goal too if someone has it

Posted from Netherlands

By Rami | April 26th, 2009 at 4:43 pm

I’ll find the Ben Saada goal in a sec but go here and watch Chikha! I’m watching now: http://www.team-tunisie.net/video.php

Posted from United States

By Rami | April 26th, 2009 at 4:56 pm

Ben Saada’s goal: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KL1ZIP3E

Posted from United States

By Abdullah | April 26th, 2009 at 6:07 pm

Chikhaoui looks fit and i must say he still has his vision, that pass in 2:33 extra time

I hope he can play 90 mins soon but lets be patient , definately gonna watch zurichs next game!

Posted from Netherlands

By Abdullah | April 26th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

thanks for the vids Rami

Posted from Netherlands

By thamer | April 26th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

im so excited…imagine chikhaoui and lassad playing together, that would be great. if we have all our big guns healthy and in form, the world cup ticket is ours to lose.

Posted from United States

By Achraf | April 26th, 2009 at 6:39 pm

Very Exciting, I loved that pass to in extra time, it was a great oppurtunity for an assist.But I think He still has to get fit more, I know it is the first game back in a year but if he is going to play against Sudan he needs at least 45 minutes of play in a game. The FC Zurich fans were happy as well. I saw that Chikha and Ghzal were chatting at the end, good reunion.

I just want to thank the Barcelona doctors.

By Rami | April 26th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

No prob Abdullah That’s the point of the blog after all

I’m so happy it’s hard to describe. This has been such a long time coming. I just hope he gets back to full fitness and stays there.

Thamer, you’re right. This gives us that extra edge and it reassures me a lot more. A healthy Chikhaoui on the field changes things but we’ll have to approach the games with the same level of seriousness we did Kenya no matter who plays.

Achraf, totally agree with you on the Barca doctors. Seemed that everyone on the field was ready to shake his hand after the match. They knew how important it was and the fans too.

Posted from United States

By Achraf | April 26th, 2009 at 7:45 pm

http://goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2009/04/26/1230932/joseph-yobo-tunisia-will-fight-but-nigeria-will-qualify-for-world

Nigeria is still confident they will win the group even after their embarassment against kenya. But I like what that person said on the comments named Deolu, I agree with him!

By Rami | April 26th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

Every time I seen an announcement like that I’m filled with more belief that we can finish ahead of them. They’re still going to be difficult to beat but such overconfidence won’t help their cause. That type of mentality plays right into our hands actually.

Posted from United States

By Rami | April 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

Btw, just a nice subplot: Okonkwo, the team-mate pictured in the post, is Nigerian and part of their national team Really nice of him to do that for Yassine!

Posted from United States

By Feedi | April 27th, 2009 at 5:53 am

Lol In the extra time he passed the ball and he looked at someone else.The defender of Young Boys thought he is going to the other defender.I hope he is playing 90 min next week.I am going to watch that game.

Posted from Netherlands

By Yassine | April 27th, 2009 at 11:31 am

Real Tunisian football fans waited a long time for this(420 days exactly), espescially that many dates were set for his return; 9th of July, Tunisia vs France match in October, End of the transfer window, Tunisia vs Holland freindly and the 1st of March.
Chikha’s visit to the Barca doctors was the solution so BIG thanks to Barcelona, Mes que un club.
Here’s the 10 minutes that Yassine played in HQ:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L7MWNA6R

By Achraf | April 27th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

Hey Rami, Do you think after Ben Saada scored this weekend, it will give him a better chance to get a call from Coelho? I really want him back and would be a big help and he works well with Chikha(Who is back) as we saw in caf 2008. I think Belaid has not been showing a lot lately for the NT and would be a good oppurtunity for ben saada or derragi at that spot!

Posted from United States

By Rami | April 27th, 2009 at 8:03 pm

I think that Coelho has to call Ben Saada. As for whether he will I’m leaning towards a yes. I think they’re going to put what happened before Ghana behind them and look to the future. I read someone on Tunisie-Foot a while ago saying he heard rumors that the next list will see the return of Ben Saada for sure and Yahia maybe.

I don’t have anything besides that bit of info and Ben Saada’s current form to base my opinion on. The way Chaouki is playing Coelho would really be kidding himself if he said that he couldn’t use him in one way or another.

On the strength of his performance in Kenya I’d make Darragi a starter instead of Belaid too. At national team level the main thing that Belaid has impressed with is his free kick ability (I believe he’s scored three of his goals with us on free kicks). Darragi brings a lot more than that.

Belaid missed a penalty and scored a goal in his team’s 3-3 draw versus Boleslav.

highlights: http://www.slavia.cz/data/video/Sla-Bol_3-3.wmv

Posted from United States

By Feedi | April 28th, 2009 at 5:28 am

No,belaid must to start in the NT.He has a hard period but he only must to get trust or a goal.Huntelaar had a hard period too.Bert van Marwijk (the Coach of Holland)gived him trust and he scored.Than he scored one goal for Real and next week of that he scored 2 goals for Real.I hope Coelho give him trust because he is a good player in a hard period.He is very good when he is in form.We only have to wait when he is `releasd` of that period.He scored 8 goals in the 1 part of the season.

Posted from Netherlands

By Achraf | April 28th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

Bad News Jemaa had pain in his knee today and left practice. This is not a good time for him to get injured, with his team and the NT meeding him. Lens will need him to help them move to L1 and we will need him with the upcoming qualifiers. I hope this is not serious and he will be ok.
http://www.infosfoot.net/fr/index.php

By Rami | April 28th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

I don’t think its too serious since it’s also written that he could have continued but they decided to let him rest just as a precaution. At least I hope that’s true.

Posted from United States

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