Tunisia Triumphs Over Sao Tomé-et-Principe 6-0, Eyes Improvement in FIFA Rankings
Following Tunisia's resounding 6-0 victory over Sao Tomé-et-Principe on Friday evening at the Hamadi-Agrebi stadium in Radès, as part of the 9th day of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (Group H), national team coach Sami Trabelsi praised his players' tactical discipline and commitment, while highlighting areas for improvement ahead of upcoming matches.
"I would like to thank my players for their tactical discipline and engagement, even if we lacked solutions during the first part of the first half," Trabelsi said after the match. Already qualified for the World Cup since the previous day, Tunisia is now focusing on improving its FIFA ranking with a clear objective in mind. "After validating our qualification, improving our world ranking is now our priority. This is why we want to win our upcoming matches, especially the one on Monday against Namibia," the coach specified.
Trabelsi acknowledged that Friday's match was not a "true test" due to the significant gap in level between the two teams, while highlighting the encouraging performances of young players. "Elyes Saad, Ismaël Gharbi, and Mohamed Belhaj Mahmoud stood out tonight. I would have also liked to give Moataz Naffati a chance, but his injury before the match forced us to be cautious," he added.
Finally, the Tunisian technician emphasized that he had tested new tactical options, including using Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane as a left winger, with a view to upcoming international matches. With this victory, Tunisia is poised to continue its campaign with a focus on improving its ranking and preparing for future challenges.
