Tunisia's Victory Against Qatar Comes Too Late
A Large Win, But to No Avail
The Tunisian team's large victory against Qatar was not enough to save them from elimination in the Arab Cup. Despite their best efforts, the team's late awakening in the tournament ultimately led to their downfall.
A Strong Start
The Tunisian team started strong, with a pressing game that quickly paid off. In the 10th minute, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane created an opportunity on the left side, serving Seifeddine Jaziri in the penalty area. However, a Qatari defender quickly closed the angle, preventing Jaziri from taking a shot.
The next opportunity proved to be the decisive one: a cross from Ali Maaloul on the left side found Firas Chaouat, who took a powerful shot that left the Qatari goalkeeper off balance. Ben Romdhane took advantage of the situation and scored the first goal in the 16th minute.
A Dominant First Half
The Tunisian team continued to dominate the game, with Ben Romdhane accelerating and serving Chaouat, who narrowly missed the goal with a crossed shot that hit the left post (30th minute). Oussama Haddadi also had a chance, but his shot went wide (43rd minute). Despite these attempts, the Tunisian team only had a one-goal lead at halftime.
More of the Same in the Second Half
After the break, the Tunisian team continued to control the game, although the Qataris showed more initiative at times. There were a few Qatari attempts, including a header from Mohamed Mannai that hit the crossbar (50th minute). However, the Tunisian team responded 12 minutes later: after a free kick, Jelassi's header was cleared, and on the resulting corner kick, Yassine Meriah scored with a header (62nd minute).
A Well-Timed Goal
The goal came at the right time to calm the Qataris, but a few minutes later, Seifeddine Jaziri was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards (80th minute). Despite being down a player, the Tunisian team continued to dominate until the end of the game. In the 94th minute, Ali Maaloul led a counterattack on the left side, passing the ball to Mohamed Ben Ali, who scored with a powerful shot that left the Qatari goalkeeper stunned.
A Victory That Comes Too Late
Despite this large victory, Tunisia was eliminated from the Arab Cup because Palestine and Syria drew 0-0. The Tunisian team's late awakening in the tournament ultimately led to their downfall, as they had missed their first two games and paid the price. The large victory against Qatar was ultimately meaningless, and the team's elimination from the Arab Cup in the first round is a disappointment.
Tunisia's Lineup:
Aymen Dahmen, Ali Maaloul, Oussema Haddadi, Hamza Jelassi, Yassine Meriah (Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida 90'), Mohamed Ben Ali, Ferjani Sassi, Houssem Tka, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Seifeddine Jaziri, and Firas Chaouat (Amor Layouni 86').
