Already Qualified for the 2026 World Cup, Tunisia Faces Namibia in Final African Qualifier
The Tunisian national football team will play its final African qualifying match against Namibia on Monday at the Hamadi Agrebi stadium in Radès, with the firm intention of ending on a high note. Boosted by their convincing 6-0 win over Sao Tomé and Principe on Friday, the Carthage Eagles want to complete the qualifiers undefeated, with a perfect record and an intact defense. Although the World Cup ticket has been secured since two days ago, the staff of Sami Trabelsi remains ambitious. A new victory would allow Tunisia not only to consolidate its leadership in Group H but also to improve its FIFA ranking, an essential parameter for the draw of the final phase scheduled for December 5. Unchallenged leader of Group H with 25 points, Tunisia largely leads Namibia (15 points), Liberia (14 points), Malawi, and Equatorial Guinea (10 points each), and Sao Tomé and Principe (0 points). A win would bring their total to 28 points, a record across all groups.
However, the teammates of Montassar Talbi know that the task will not be easy. The Namibians remain unbeaten in their last two encounters against the Tunisians: a 0-0 draw in Johannesburg in the first leg and a 1-0 win in the group stage of the last African Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire. Namibian coach Collin Benjamin is counting on this history to motivate his players to create an upset in Radès.
On the Tunisian side, several players have made a mark in the last match, including Ismaël Gharbi, Elias Saad (Augsburg/GER), and Firas Chaouat (Club Africain). The staff could offer playing time to new faces, such as defender Moataz Naffati (Norrköping/SWE), winger Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic/SCO), or midfielder Firas Belarbi (Al-Sharjah/UAE).
The supporters are expecting a solid and inspired performance, a symbol of a team full of confidence before a series of major events: the Arab Cup in Qatar, the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco, and then the final phase of the 2026 World Cup (Canada-United States-Mexico).
The ambition is clear: to continue the rise of a team that finally dreams of reaching the second round of a World Cup and writing a new page in the history of Tunisian football.
