Tunisia’s national coach, Jalel Kadri, has unveiled his squad for the September 2023 gathering against Botswana and Egypt. A group of 26 Carthage Eagles, including one returning player.
Tunisia will also participate in the international break of September 2023. The Carthage Eagles will face Botswana on the 7th of this month at the Radès Stadium, in the 6th round of AFCON 2023 qualifiers, before taking on Egypt in Cairo on the 12th in a prestigious friendly match. National coach Jalel Kadri revealed the list of 26 players who will be part of these encounters on Thursday.
With no real stakes, as they are already qualified for the African Cup of Nations, the Tunisian coach has given a chance to three new dual nationals. They are Sami Chouchane, Elias Saad, and Anas Haj Mohamed. At just 19 years old, the first mentioned player currently plays with Brighton’s reserve team.
The midfielder was once a teammate of the promising Hannibal Mejbri at AC Boulogne Billancourt, and this year, he shone in the African Nations U20 Cup as well as the U20 World Cup. Winger Elias Saad, on the other hand, was born in Germany and plays for St. Pauli, while Anas Haj Mohamed plies his trade at Parme in Italy.
Alongside these new faces, one can notice the presence of former Olympique Lyonnais player Hamza Rafia, who hadn’t been called up to the national team since the 2021 AFCON. His impressive performances at the start of the season with Lecce earned him a return to the Tunisian Eagles’ squad. However, World Cup participants Drager and Anis Ben Slimane have been left out, as well as Khaoui and Laabidi.
The team’s key players, such as Msakni, Talbi, Laidouni, and Skhiri, are naturally included for these two matches, which promise to add a touch of excellence to Tunisia’s preparation for the 2023 AFCON, scheduled for January 13 to February 11, 2024, in Ivory Coast.
Tunisia’s Squad against Botswana and Egypt
Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmene (Al Hazem), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastirienne), Mouez Hassen (Club Africain).
Defenders: Alaa Ghram (CS Sfaxien), Ali Abdi (Caen), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Nader Ghandri (Ajman), Oussema Haddadi (Greuther Fürth), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos), Yassine Meriah (Espérance de Tunis), Yann Valery (Angers).
Midfielders: Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt), Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United), Hamza Rafia (Lecce), Aissa Laidouni (Union Berlin), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Ferencvaros), Samy Chouchane (Brighton).
Forwards: Ali Youssef (BK Häcken), Anas Haj Mohamed (Parma), Elias Achouri (FC Copenhagen), Elias Saad (St. Pauli), Haythem Jouini (Stade Tunisien), Omar Layouni (BK Häcken), Sayfallah Ltaief (Winterthur), Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi).