A Lesson Learned from the Chaotic Arab Cup Participation
If there's one lesson to be learned from our chaotic participation in the Arab Cup, it's that even if we present ourselves as one of the favorites for the title, we never take a tournament lightly. The Africa Cup of Nations has already begun.
Upcoming Press Conference
Tomorrow at noon, national team coach Sami Trabelsi will hold a press conference at the FTF headquarters to announce the list of players called up for the Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. The Tunisian team will compete in the first round in Group C. They will play their opening match of the continental tournament against Uganda on December 23 at the Moulay Abdallah stadium in Rabat, with the kick-off at 9:00 PM. The second match against Nigeria will also start at 9:00 PM on December 27, but will take place at the Complexe Sportif de Fès stadium. The national team will then return to Rabat to play the last match of the first round (hopefully not the last match of the CAN) against Tanzania on December 30, with the kick-off at 5:00 PM.
Going as Far as Possible
Wanting to have it both ways, Sami Trabelsi failed in Doha, whereas a few days earlier, he had made history by tactically blocking Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil. Now that the damage is done, it's pointless to lament his fate, and the best way to make Tunisians forget the debacle of the Arab Cup is to go as far as possible in the Morocco CAN and play a leading role. It's time for the Tunisian team to regain its status as a great nation on the continental scale. This is the objective that Sami Trabelsi, who won the CHAN in 2011 as a coach, must achieve. Even if the goal for which he came is to qualify for the World Cup final phase, it cannot be considered an exploit, given that the Tunisian team has already qualified six times for the World Cup final phase before he qualified them. What is expected of him is to restore Tunisia's nobility on the continental scale. We will then turn the page to the 2026 World Cup.
Out of Sight, Close to Heart
As a reminder, the preparation of the Tunisian team for the Morocco CAN will take place from this Friday in Tabarka, where they will be based for a training camp that will continue until December 19, the date of departure for Rabat on a special flight from Tabarka-Aïn Draham International Airport. For the moment, only one friendly match has been announced by the FTF, which will serve as preparation for the continental tournament. The match will close the Tabarka training camp on December 18 against Botswana. The national coach has chosen Tabarka to prepare for the CAN, away from prying eyes. Moreover, the friendly match against Botswana will be played behind closed doors, and no media will be allowed to film the match "to ensure the best working and preparation conditions," according to the FTF statement. The Tunisian team will be out of sight but close to the hearts of the supporters who massively supported them in Doha but were unfortunately strongly disappointed in the Arab Cup.
A Barometer Tournament
For Sami Trabelsi and his staff, as well as for Moez Nasri and his federal office, the Africa Cup of Nations will be a barometer tournament for the future. A tournament that will reveal the extent of the work of the current federal office, which has already failed in its exit from the Arab Nations Cup, given that in the previous edition of this competition, the Tunisian team was a finalist. As for Sami Trabelsi, a poor performance at the CAN would lead him to the exit door. It's up to him to put all his experience and expertise into this continental tournament. The current federal office gave him a second chance to take the reins of the national team again after a first failed passage at the 2013 CAN. As a reminder, he had resigned after leaving the continental tournament in 2013 in the first round. It's up to him to redeem himself at the Morocco CAN so that the one in South Africa is just a bad memory for him. If he wants to assert himself, it's now or never.
