Tunisia have given African Champion League winner Ali Maaloul time off and left him out of their squad to take on Equatorial Guinea away in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the weekend.
Maaloul won the Champions League with Al Ahly of Egypt against Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca on Sunday and Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri has rewarded him with time off from national duty.
Captain Youssef Msakni is also rested while midfielder Ellyes Skhiri is also excused, to focus on his future at club level after coming to the end of his contract at Bundesliga club FC Cologne,
Tunisia have already qualified from Group J while their hosts on Saturday in Malabo need only one point to join them in January’s finals in the Ivory Coast.
Tunisia will follow their trip to Equatorial Guinea with a friendly against Algeria away in Annaba on June 20.
Kadri has named five uncapped players in the squad, including the French-born Haykeul Chikhaoui. The 26-year-old was born in Marseille, he was a junior at Sochaux before passing through the reserves at FC Porto and moving onto US Monastir in Tunisia.
Goalkeeper Idriss Arfaoui, who was born in Belgium, and striker Mohamed Dhaoui have been promoted from the squad which competed at this month’s U-20 World Cup in Argentina, where Tunisia reached the last-16.
Etoile Sahel midfielder Oussama Abid and Olympique Beja striker Oussema Bouguerra are also new to the selection while there are returns to the squad for Morthada Ben Ouannes, Oussama Haddedi and Mouez Hassen.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Idriss Arfaoui (Deinze, Belgium), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir), Aymen Dahmene (CS Sfaxien), Mouez Hassen (Club Africain)
Defenders: Ali Abdi (Caen, France), Mortadha Ben Ouannes (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern, Switzerland), Alaa Ghram (CS Sfaxien), Oussama Haddadi (Greuther Furth, Germany), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos, Greece), Yassine Meriah (Esperance), Montassar Talbi (Lorient, France), Yan Valery (Angers, France)
Midfielders: Oussama Abid (Etoile Sahel), Firas Ben Larbi (Ajman Club, United Arab Emirates), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Esperance), Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby, Denmark), Haykeul Chikhaoui (US Monastir), Aissa Laidouni (Union Berlin, Germany), Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United, England).
Forwards: Elias Achouri (Viborg, Denmark), Oussema Bouguerra (Olympique Beja), Mohamed Dhaoui (Al Ahly, Egypt), Hamdi Labidi (Club Africain), Issam Jebali (Gamba Osaka, Japan), Haythem Jouini (Stade Tunisien).