An Acceptable Second Place for a Team in Rebuilding Mode
The Press — If it weren't for the defeat against Guinea in the last match, we would have described this first window of World Cup qualifiers as exemplary. Two wins, one loss, and a second-place finish that's not a bad deal overall. There are still other tournaments to come, and the road is still long, even if, considering the competition and the delay taken by the selection in recent years, the Tunisia team is not among the favorites. The organization of this first tournament in Radès (which was not the best possible choice, frankly) was an opportunity to rediscover the selection and fill up on victories. In the end, Guinea won with a narrow margin, but with great mastery, our team, which still needs time and quality players to assert itself. Qualification for the World Cup is not compromised, and there are still other tournaments to come. However, the competing teams, which are better reinforced, have managed to widen the gap over the past five years. We are not satisfied with this defeat against Guinea, but at the same time, we should not be too harsh in our judgment. It's been over 15 years since we focused solely on the men's national team and marginalized the championship, clubs, and other youth selections. It's already a good thing that we still have a few quality players in this Tunisian squad. Amor Abada has evolved as the leader of the Tunisian team, organizing the game and playing his role as a point guard (a decisive role against Nigeria). Marnaoui remains the key player who has the qualities of a creator-point guard capable of finding solutions. For the rest, the performance was average for some and interesting for others. The Lahiani, Saada, and other interior players are having increasing difficulty competing with the stronger opposing pivots who are superior in all aspects. We need to find intelligent game plans and collective defensive maneuvers to neutralize these African teams that have taken on another dimension. And what about naturalizing foreign players, especially for the interior position? A topic that comes back strongly. It's only a quick fix, even if, in the short term, it can compensate for the gap with the continent's top teams. It can be a tool that will further hinder the formation and management of the young elite, which is already struggling. When you're a selector or federal official, you need to look further ahead and address the problem in depth. Otherwise, proposing such solutions is just a palliative and "demagogy". Let each person assume their responsibilities and fulfill the mission for which they were hired.
