Tunisia’s strength is their lack of adventure and they will be among the more tactically cautious sides at the World Cup finals, happy to soak up the pressure, let the opponent have most of the play, and hope for opportunities at set pieces or on the counterattack. It is an approach that has stood them in good stead as they count themselves fortunate qualifiers for the tournament in Qatar.
A Fifa ranking inside the top 30 is something of a misnomer, as Tunisia enjoyed a fortuitous route to the finals, devoid of any significant obstacle in the African qualifiers.
Tunisia topped their four-team group this time last year, winning four of six games against Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania and Zambia.
They were then drawn against Mali in the March playoff, the best possible pairing they could have got, but only squeezed through with more dollops of luck.
After their exit at January’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, Tunisia went seven games without conceding a goal. That is their strong point and one of the reasons a relatively small country, with a population of 12 million, is able to punch above its weight in African football. Allied to a strong domestic league, Tunisia are perennial contenders and heading for a sixth World Cup finals.
COACH
JALEL KADRI
Kadri moved up from assistant coach after Tunisia’s Cup of Nations campaign, where they reached the last eight. Kadri was assistant to Mondher Kebaier, a role he had also previously held when Nabil Maaloul was national team coach in 2018. His coaching career reflects the tenuous nature of taking charge of clubs in the Arab world, where hiring and firing is far more frequent than most. A former league player, he began his coaching career in 2008 at Esperance Zarzis but lasted only six games. He took charge of another five Tunisian clubs, plus Al Ansar, Al Nahdah, Khaleej (Saudi Arabia), Emirates Club (United Arab Emirates) and Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya.
PROFILES
GOALKEEPERS
Bechir BEN SAID
Took over as a surprise first choice for Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in January, winning his first cap and keeping his place for the World Cup playoffs. But since then he has been displaced and is likely to be the second choice at the tournament in Qatar. Played for the unfashionable Tunisian club US Monastir.
Aymen DAHMEN
Has recovered from a ruptured knee ligaments to force his way back into the squad, while also helping his hometown club to Tunisian Cup success this year. He also won the cup with CS Sfaxien in 2019 and 2021. He is set for a move to Saudi Arabia once the World Cup is over.
Mohamed SEDKI DEBCHI
Tall goalkeeper who only made his debut at champions Esperance last season but has quickly forced himself into national team reckoning, going with the squad to the Kirin Cup in June but not playing. He will be the only uncapped player in the Tunisia squad.
DF
Ali ABDI
Left back who played at three of Tunisia’s top clubs – Esperance, Stade Tunisien and Club Africain -- before moving to Paris FC in 2019 and then Caen in Ligue 2. His national team debut was in mid-2021 and he made the squad for the Cup of Nations finals in January.
Mortadha BEN OUANNES
Brought back into the squad after an almost three-year absence and although plays mainly defensive midfielder can also cover at left back. Most of his career has been at Etoile Sahel but he moved to Turkish club Kasimpasa on a two-year deal last season.
Dylan BRONN
Started at his home town club Cannes, qualifying for Tunisia through his mother and scoring against Belgium at the last World Cup in Moscow. He had played for several seasons in Belgium with Gent before returning to France at Metz and moving this season to Italian outfit Salernitana.
Mohamed DRAGER
German-born right back who got no game time after joining Nottingham Forest last season and has since been loaned out to FC Luzern in the Swiss league. He started at home-town club Freiburg, during which time he played for Tunisia at the 2013 Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Nader GHANDRI
Won his first cap in 2019 but not picked again until the World Cup playoffs against Mali in March where he was a surprise starter. One of the few European-born players who has gone to play in Africa, born in France but returning to his roots to play for Club Africain.
Bilel IFA
Recalled in January for the Cup of Nations finals after an astonishing nine years out of the team, having last played at the 2013 Cup of Nations finals. He made his international debut as a teenager in 2008, not long after playing for Tunisia at the 2007 Under-17 World Cup and spent most of his career at the Tunis-based team Club Africain.
Rami KAIB
Former Swedish youth international who has switched allegiance and won a first cap for Tunisia at the Kirin Cup in June. His father is Tunisian and he had previously turned them down saying he had ambitions to play for Sweden. Moved from Swedish club Elfsborg to Heerenveen in the Netherlands two seasons ago.
Ali MAALOUL
Flying left back regarded among the best African-based footballers, who has won two Champions League titles with Egyptian giants Al Ahly. He played in two of Tunisia’s three games at the last World Cup in Russia and has competed at four successive Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Hamza MATHLOUTHI
Right back who has won the Egyptian title with Zamalek and first made his national team debut in 2014, although not picked for the last World Cup finals in Russia. His career started at CA Bizerte before he moved to CS Sfaxien, who earned a 2-million dollar transfer fee when thy sold him to the Egyptian giants.
Omar REKIK
Former Dutch youth international and Manchester City academy product, who is now on the books at Arsenal but on loan in the Eredivisie at Sparta Rotterdam. His elder brother Karim, who is on the books at Sevilla, has won four caps for the Netherlands but not in line to play at the World Cup.
Montassar TALBI
Paris-born centre back who started at Esperance in Tunis but has since played club football in Turkey, Italy, Russia and now in Ligue 1 with Lorient. He signed a four-year contract with them and in September headed home a goal for Tunisia against Brazil in the city of his birth.
Yan VALERY
Late addition to the Tunisia squad, having previously preferred to wait and see if he could make the French team, having played for them at junior level. His mother is Tunisian and his father from Martinique. Most of his career was spent at Southampton but in September he joined Angers on a four-year deal.
MF
Ghailene CHAALALI
Competed for Tunisia at the last World Cup in Russia and has won five Tunisia league titles with Esperance in between a brief stint at Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor. He won two African Champions League titles with Esperance in 2018 and 2019 and is rated regularly among the best African-based players.
Chaim EL DJEBALI
The teenager was a surprise selection in September and won a first cap in a friendly against the Comoros islands. He is on the books at Olympique Lyonnais but yet to play a senior game, having just signed his first professional contract, but has appeared for France at under-16 level.
Saif-Eddine KHAOUI
Switched his allegiance after winning youth caps for France ahead of the last World Cup where he played one match against Belgium. He debuted in Ligue 1 with Olympique de Marseille in 2016 but after failing to secure a regular place was loaned out to Troyes and then Caen. Two years ago, he signed for Clermont Foot.
Aissa LAIDOUNI
Workhorse of the Tunisia side and another born in France, where he began his career at Angers. Tunisia handed him a debut in March 2021 and he has been a regular since. He was also named the best player in the Hungarian league two years ago as Ferencvaros won the title.
Hannibal MEJBRI
Tussled-haired French-born playmaker who is on the books of Manchester United but who new manager Erik ten Hag reckons needs playing time and has loaned out for the season to Birmingham City. He made a strong impression at the Arab Cup last December, which was the test event in Qatar for the World Cup.
Ferjani SASSI
Plays his club football in Qatar at Al Duhail and has been a national team regular since 2013, participating at the last World Cup and also three previous Cup of Nations finals tournaments. He can be used as a wide attacker but also as a playmaker for the team.
Elyas SKHIRI
In the 2020/21 Bundesliga season, Skhiri ran a total of 396.23 km for FC Cologne, a full 8km more than any other player in the German league. He played all three games for Tunisia at the last World Cup in Russia and is expected to again be a starter for the team in Qatar.
Anis BEN SLIMANE
Was a Danish youth international, and helped Brondby to win the league title in 2021, but has been a Tunisia regular since his first cap two years ago. He has been at Brondby since the age of 12 and had trials in Germany when he was still only 16 years old.
FW
Seifeddine JAZIRI
Often used as a lone striker in the Tunisia line-up, Jaziri was the top scorer at last December’s Arab Cup in Qatar. He has won league titles in both Tunisia and Egypt with Club Afrcain and Zamalek and has the African Champions League as his top priority after the World Cup is over.
Issam JEBALI
Moved to Scandinavia from Etoile Sahel in 2015 but has made only intermittent appearances for the national side with eight caps over the last four years. Scoring against Japan in the Kirin Cup in June boosted his chances of making the World Cup squad. He has played in Sweden, Norway and now Denmark.
Wahbi KHAZRI
Tunisia’s captain at the last World Cup where he scored in successive games and is now second on the list of all-time Tunisian goal scorers with 24 goals. One of the top African players in Ligue 1 where his clubs have included home-town outfit Bastia, Girondins Bordeaux, Stade Rennes, St Etienne and now Montpellier.
Taha Yassine KHENISSI
Eight-time Tunisian league title winner with Esperance and CS Sfaxien who has moved to the Middle East for a pension payday at Kuwait SC. He was handed a one-year drugs ban in mid-2021 after testing positive for a banned stimulant after a match in the African Champions League.
Sayfallah LTAIEF
Swiss-born forward who won a first cap for Tunisia in September, not long after a transfer to top club FC Basle from second-division outfit Winterthur. He could have also chosen to play for Syria, which is where his mother hails from.
Youssef MSAKNI
Dribbling wizard who is captain of the team and famously turned down the chance to play in Europe a decade ago to move to Qatar, where he has been since 2012. He has competed at seven Africa Cup of Nations finals and if he makes the 2024 event will equal Rigobert Song’s record.
Naim SLITI
Left-sided attacker from Marseille who has past 50 caps since his debut in 2016. His first professional contract was at Sedan but he got to play in Ligue 1 first with Lille, where he fell out of favour with coach Marcelo Bielsa and moved to Dijon instead. He is now playing in Saudi Arabia.