Tunisia Qualifies for the World Cup with a Sensational Performance
With just two days left in the qualifying rounds and an impressive run of 8 matches without a defeat or a single goal conceded, Tunisia has secured its spot in the American World Cup.
A Remarkable Achievement
In football, a country's size and population are not guarantees of great achievements. With its seventh qualification, and third consecutive one, Tunisia has set a remarkable example. Other countries, larger in terms of area and population, have not achieved the same level of success as the Tunisians. When the national anthem and victory chants echoed on Monday after the match against Equatorial Guinea, all Tunisians were overjoyed and wished time could stand still to savor the great joy brought by the remarkable performance of the "Aigles de Carthage" (Carthage Eagles).
A Crucial Win
From the match against Equatorial Guinea, we only remember the result and the liberating goal scored by Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane in the dying minutes of the game (90'+4). Although the team's performance throughout the match was not flawless, the essential thing was to secure the qualifying win that opened the door to the big leagues.
Thanks to Dahmen
If there's a hero to thank from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the three points of happiness, it's the goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen. Without his three miraculous saves in the second half (69', 79', and 89'), the result of the match and our discussion would have been different. The credit also goes to Firas Chaouat, who provided the decisive pass that led to the goal, and to Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, who followed the counter-attack and found himself in an ideal position to score and deliver the final blow to Equatorial Guinea, which had been on the verge of sealing the deal in the last 20 minutes.
A Narrow Escape for the Coach
National team coach Sami Trabelsi was saved by the skin of his teeth by the trio Dahmen-Chaouat-Ben Romdhane, who gave him the three points that are worth their weight in gold, despite the cold sweats he endured in the second half.
Result Over Performance
As soon as we saw the starting lineup, we understood that Sami Trabelsi had prioritized caution over audacity. The choice of Issa Laïdouni as the second axial midfielder to provide greater protection for Dahmen's goal was a reflection of his defensive strategy. His two objectives were to avoid losing and conceding a goal, in order to preserve the two records of 8 matches without a defeat or a goal conceded. By benching Gharbi and Sliti, keeping Achouri on the wing despite his poor form, and moving Saâd to the right wing where he struggles to express himself, Trabelsi caught off guard those who expected a more attacking team.
A Job Well Done
Despite the controversial and surprising choices, the Tunisian team still managed to win and top their group. With the best attack (13 goals) and the best defense (zero goals conceded), far ahead of their runner-up in Group H, few teams can rival their statistics and boast such a remarkable performance in the World Cup qualifying phase. The team led by Sami Trabelsi has achieved greatness with this exploit. The American World Cup is the best reward for Tunisia, which has proven that it takes the big appointments with History very seriously.
