Tunisia coach calls for mental reset after disappointing group stage

Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi conceded his team fell short of expectations in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage and said they need a mental reset to deliver a more consistent performance when they face Mali in the last 16 on Saturday.

Tunisia, champions in 2004, started this year's tournament brightly with a 3-1 win over Uganda. They then drew 1-1 with Tanzania before losing 3-2 to Nigeria, but still qualified for the next round.

Trabelsi said they know they must raise their game.

"We are not satisfied with the overall performance and results of the Tunisian team in the tournament," Trabelsi told a press conference on Friday. "God willing, we will show our true face against Mali and achieve success.

"I hope the result goes our way as a new phase of the competition begins. The mental aspect is very important, and we've freed ourselves from pressure," he added.

The coach stressed the importance of seizing limited chances in what he expects to be a tight contest.

"Mali is a big team with players of high technical and physical quality. The match will be decided by small details and mistakes, and there won't be many chances," Trabelsi said.

"The most important thing is to take advantage of them. We'll try to deliver a more consistent performance."

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Trabelsi acknowledged the fans' frustration.

"I understand why people aren't happy with our performance, but we weren't that bad. We qualified for the round of 16, and gradually the performance will improve," he added.

"Sometimes you play great matches and still exit the tournament. The most important thing is progressing, and we hope to succeed in both performance and qualification."

Defender Yan Valery echoed the coach's message and said the team were prepared for a new start in the knockout stage.

"We're ready to deliver a good match against Mali. This is a new tournament starting now. We'll learn from our mistakes in the group stage, which will serve as a lesson for the Mali game," Valery said.

"We enjoy the support of Moroccan and Tunisian fans. We feel the same pressure we face at club level and deal with it the same way, as we've done throughout our careers."