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 history as the heroes of Tunisian football.
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's cross from the right found Dylan Bronn, whose shot sailed over the crossbar (24').
At halftime, the score was still 0-0, leaving Tunisian fans unsatisfied. After the break, coach Sami Trabelsi made several changes to try and unlock the Equatorial Guinea defense. However, the opposing team's decision to push forward made it difficult for Tunisia to create scoring opportunities. Aymen Dahmen 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 a decisive play in the dying minutes of the game, setting up Ben Romdhane for the winning goal. This miracle goal sent Tunisia to the 2026 World Cup, proving that the impossible can happen in football.
Tunisia's Lineup
The Tunisian team started with the following lineup: Dahmen, Ben Ouanes, Talbi, Bronn, Valery, Sassi (Ben Romdhane 73'), Laidouni, Mejbri (Sliti 59'), Achouri (Tounekti 88'), Saad (Gharbi 59'), and Mastouri (Chaouat 73').
