Tunisia's National Football Team to Embark on a New Adventure in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
The Tunisian national football team, also known as the Carthage Eagles, will begin a new journey in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, hosted in Doha, with a strong determination to play a leading role and confirm its status among the Arab football powers.
Upcoming Matches
In this officially recognized competition by FIFA since the previous edition, the Carthage Eagles, placed in Group A, will kick off against Syria on December 1st at the Ahmed Ibn Ali Stadium (14:00 local time), followed by a match against Palestine on December 4th at the Lusail Stadium (15:30), and finally against Qatar on December 7th at the Al Bayt Stadium (18:00).
Objectives and Context
In this eleventh edition, the national team's objective is to revive the flame of 1963, the year of the founding title in Beirut, or at least repeat the 2021 scenario by reaching the final. However, this Arab campaign takes place in a particular context, with the upcoming African Cup of Nations (CAN) scheduled in Morocco from December 21st to January 18th, and the Arab Cup not being part of the international calendar. As a result, European clubs were not required to release their players.
Team Selection
Coach Sami Trabelsi has established a list of players centered around the most skilled elements of the national championship, including seven players from Espérance de Tunis, while also securing the valuable support of a few expatriates authorized by their clubs. These include:
- Moataz Naffati (Norrköping/Sweden), right-back
- Mohamed Haj Mahmoud (Lugano/Switzerland), defensive midfielder
- Nassim Dendani (AS Monaco/France), offensive midfielder
- Ismaïl Gharbi (Augsburg/Germany), offensive midfielder
- Omar Laayouni (Häcke/Sweden), winger
- Hazem Mastouri (Makhatchkala/Russia), center-forward
The list also includes several players from Arab championships, such as:
- Ferjani Sassi (Al-Gharafa/Qatar), veteran of the selection with 94 caps
- Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek/Egypt), scorer in the Confederation Cup with his Cairo club, recalled at the last minute to replace the injured Naim Sliti
- Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Al-Ahly of Egypt), midfielder
- Oussama Haddadi (RS Berkane/Morocco), left-back
Team Dynamics and Challenges
The group seems sufficient to offer solutions in different positions, including goalkeeping, with the presence of experienced goalkeepers Aymen Dahmène (CS Sfaxien) and Bechir Ben Saïd (Espérance de Tunis) and newcomer Noureddine Farhati, who arrives with an impressive record of 15 matches without conceding a goal this season with Stade Tunisien.
However, the difficulty of having the entire squad available may pose a significant challenge for the technical staff, due to the commitments of several players in the African Champions League or continental competitions with their clubs, preventing them from joining the group immediately.
First Match Against Syria
Given the importance of succeeding in the opening matches of major competitions, the teammates of veteran Ali Maalou, back in the selection after his gradual recovery within CS Sfaxien, are called upon to win the first match against Syria to gain confidence and install the team in a favorable dynamic before facing the other two opponents. This first match will be marked by a desire for revenge, after the defeat conceded four years ago against the same Syrian team in the first round of the previous edition.
Opponents
The Syrian national team, coached by Spanish coach José Lana, had to go through the preliminary round to qualify for this championship, eliminating Sudan (2-0). Despite being ranked behind several Arab teams in the FIFA rankings, the Syrian team remains a formidable opponent, with a significant history in the Arab Cup, including three finals, and a strong determination to succeed.
The second opponent, Palestine, qualified through the playoffs, defeating Libya on penalties. This team should not be underestimated, driven by a great ambition to succeed in their Arab campaign and supported by a large number of sympathizers in the Arab world, which could boost the morale of the players on the field.
The final opponent in the first round will be the host country, Qatar, which will have the advantage of playing at home and in front of its own crowd. The Qatari team, coached by Spanish coach Jolen Lopetegui, hopes that this third Arab Cup organized on its soil will be crowned with a historic title, after missing out on the title in the first edition in 1998 against Saudi Arabia and being eliminated in the semi-finals in 2021 against Algeria.
