Tunisia Considered a Strong Contender for the Arab Cup
According to our source, the Tunisian team is among the most serious contenders to win the Arab Cup. The Press — "On paper, Tunisia and Qatar are better off than Palestine and Syria in the group. The Tunisian team is even the selection with the best assets. Given their internal situations in recent years, I don't think the championships in Palestine and Syria have a rhythm. Nevertheless, we must respect all our opponents and take them seriously. If we are motivated and show full concentration, we are capable of succeeding in our first two matches. It's up to us to make the game and impose a high pace against Palestine and Syria to make a full score. Then, there will be the third match against Qatar for the leadership of the group. The most important thing to me is to start the competition with seriousness, discipline, and irreproachable rigor, and to be strong mentally. As for our chances in this Arab Cup, I think Tunisia is one of the favorite nations to claim the title, provided we manage the first two matches well, especially in terms of energy conservation for the rest of our journey in this tournament. The technical staff can make changes during the third match if we make a full score in the first two matches. Therefore, we can spare players during the third match against Qatar, which will allow us to approach the quarterfinals under the best auspices. That being said, leaving for Qatar without having the entire squad is a bit of a problem. In the absence of key players, this is an opportunity for those who will play in the Arab Cup to stand out and benefit from playing time. A chance to gain points with a view to the list of call-ups for the CAN, until the players playing in Europe arrive. It's up to the technical staff to manage the first round. After that, they will have all the players and can negotiate the rest of the journey in the Arab Cup as they see fit. The timing of this Arab Cup before the CAN creates an unprecedented situation. Usually, we have a mini-preparation for the CAN of 10 days to two weeks, punctuated by friendly matches. Since the Arab Cup will precede the CAN, the management of the group will be particularly difficult for the technical staff, especially to avoid players falling into fatigue before the continental tournament. The players do not have the same level of competition either. So, we must also take this factor into account so that we arrive at the CAN with a fully prepared group. We must remember that if we reach the final of the Arab Cup, we will only have 5 days before the first match of the CAN against Uganda, which will take place on December 23. In short, many parameters to consider, knowing that the Arab Cup matches cannot be managed in the same way as friendly matches, since they are official matches. The technical and medical staff will have the heavy task of managing two tournaments that follow each other, both equally important, knowing that not all players who will play in the Arab Cup will necessarily be retained for the CAN. It's about managing two squads at the same time, with the concern of avoiding potential injuries."
