Tunisia Qualifies for the 2026 World Cup Thanks to a Late Goal
La Presse — In a scenario that no one expected, Tunisia qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a late goal from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, assisted by Firas Chaouat. The match between Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea, played in Malabo, ended with a dramatic turn of events. As the referee was about to blow the final whistle, Firas Chaouat made a run down the right wing, created an opening, and delivered a precise cross for Ben Romdhane, who had the instinct to follow the play and score the winning goal in the 94th minute.
This goal sealed Tunisia's qualification for the 2026 World Cup, their seventh participation in the tournament. The duo of Chaouat and Ben Romdhane will go down in Tunisian football history as the heroes of this qualification.
Match Summary
The match started with Tunisia struggling to find their footing on a wet pitch due to heavy rain. The Equatorial Guinea team had the first scoring opportunity with a free kick that was easily blocked by the Tunisian defense (4'). Tunisia's first attempt came in the 14th minute with a cross from Mortadha Ben Ouanes that was deflected into a corner by an Equatorial Guinea defender. Later, Hannibal Mejbri delivered a cross from the right wing for Dylan Bronn, whose shot sailed over the crossbar (24').
At halftime, the score was still 0-0, leaving Tunisian fans unsatisfied. In the second half, coach Sami Trabelsi made several substitutions to try and break down the Equatorial Guinea defense. However, the opposing team's strategy of pushing forward made it difficult for Tunisia to create scoring opportunities. Aymen Dahmen, the Tunisian goalkeeper, made a crucial save in the 70th minute, deflecting a powerful free kick from Saúl Coco.
Just when all hope seemed lost, Firas Chaouat made his decisive run down the right wing, creating the opportunity for Ben Romdhane to score the winning goal. This miracle goal sealed Tunisia's qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Tunisia's Lineup
The Tunisian team started with the following lineup: Dahmen, Ben Ouanes, Talbi, Bronn, Valery, Sassi (replaced by Ben Romdhane in the 73rd minute), Laidouni, Mejbri (replaced by Sliti in the 59th minute), Achouri (replaced by Tounekti in the 88th minute), Saad (replaced by Gharbi in the 59th minute), and Mastouri (replaced by Chaouat in the 73rd minute).
