Preparations for the African Cup of Nations
With the constraint of the exemption granted by FIFA to clubs, allowing them to keep their international players until today, Sami Trabelsi, like all other African selectors, finally has only a small week to prepare for the tournament.
Arrival in Tabarka
The national team arrived in Tabarka on Friday, where they will conduct their preparation stage in anticipation of the African Cup of Nations in Morocco. The team traveled by plane, which took only about 40 minutes, providing comfortable travel conditions for the players.
Training and Friendly Match
The national team will be based in Tabarka until next Friday, when they will depart for Rabat on a special flight from Tabarka-Aïn Draham International Airport. The training stage will conclude on Thursday with a friendly match against Botswana, the only match scheduled for the team's preparation. Although it would have been desirable to have at least one more test match to address any weaknesses that may appear, the technical staff will have to make the most of this single match.
Preparations and Challenges
Sami Trabelsi has based his preparation cycle on a one-week period, which will conclude with the friendly match against Botswana before heading to Rabat. There, the team will begin specific preparations for their first match against Uganda on the 23rd. The Botswana team, who are also training in Tabarka, played a friendly match against Stade Tunisien, winning 2-1.
Team Formation
The training stage in Tabarka is following the usual pattern, with the team gradually taking shape. The gathering began with a reduced squad, which is progressively being completed. Two players, Hazem Mastouri and Nader Ghandri, who did not participate in the Arab Cup, have already joined the team in Tabarka. Other players, such as Elias Saad, Elias Achouri, and Sebastian Tounekti, are expected to arrive soon. From tomorrow, the national coach will have the complete squad at his disposal.
Final Preparations
The technical staff will do their best to prepare the team for the African Cup of Nations, despite the challenges posed by the FIFA exemption. With only a week to prepare, the team will have to make the most of their time together before their first match against Uganda.
