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Scouting
Report
Style of play: Tunisia plays with a traditional
4-4-2 formation, and stress conservative ball movement
around the pitch. Defence is paramount to Tunisia's
success as they go with a flat-back four at the back
supported by a crop of defensive midfielders. They take
very few chances in moving the ball forward, instead
relying on set-pieces and the counterattack to score
the bulk of its goals. Tunisia tries to grind the game
to standstill with short static passes before sending
a long ball up front for the forwards to chase down
on their path toward the goal.
Strengths:
Central defence -- Khaled Badra is a gifted sweeper
who is very poised and mobile when carrying the ball.
His partner, Rahdi Jaidi, is very strong in the air,
has good positioning and reads the game very well. Opposing
forwards will have a hard time penetrating Tunisia's
through the heart of its defence.
Team unity -- The core of Tunisia's side is comprised
of players who made the trip to the World Cup finals
four years ago in France. The rest of the squad has
been together since 1996 when they played for Tunisia's
Under-23 team that competed at the Atlanta Olympics.
Record of overachieving -- In 1978, Tunisia did
the impossible and defeated Mexico 3-1 to become the
first African nation to win at the World Cup. Four years
ago, Tunisia acquitted itself very well in tough opening
group with Colombia, England and Romania. If any team
has a history of pulling off dramatic upsets, it is
Tunisia.
Weaknesses:
Skilled players -- The bulk of Tunisia's roster
play in the Tunisian domestic league. Nobody on the
team has any seen regular first-team action in the top
European leagues. Tunisia doesn't have any top-quality
players it can call upon to step up and take the game
by the scruff of the neck.
Confidence -- Tunisia has suffered from a severe
lack of confidence as of late. It bowed out in the first
round of the African Nations Cup in February in embarrassing
fashion and suffered losses to Slovenia and Japanese
club Gamba Osaka in recent exhibition games
Goalkeeping-- Chokri El Ouaer was the closest
thing Tunsia had in a qualified goalkeeper, but strangely,
he was not selected for the final squad. Coach Ammar
Souayah will have to select a starter out of Ali Boumnijel
and Hassen Bejaoui, two inexperienced keepers.
Key injuries/omissions: Midfielder Oussama Sellami
is off the team after he breaking a toe in an exhibition
match…. Defender Hatem Trabelsi is suffering from
an inflammation of the right knee and is doubtful for
the start of the tournament…
Outlook: Tunisia is a team in disarray after
the sudden resignation of coach Henri Michel back in
March. It also suffered an embarrassing 3-0 loss to
Japanese club side Gamba Osaka in a pre-tournament friendly;
to say that the African nation is stumbling into the
World Cup is an understatement. Things don't get any
better for them in Group H, as they face tough games
against Russia, Belgium and hosts Japan. Tunisia doesn't
have any starters who see regular first-team action
in any of the top European leagues, and more than anything
else, this lack of star players and pedigree looks like
Tunisia's undoing, as experienced nations like Russia
and Belgium will have little trouble picking them apart.
Last place in Group H looks likely.
The
Country
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean
Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Capital: Tunis
Area: 163,610 sq km
Population: 9,593,402 (July 2000 est.)
Government type: Republic
Climate: Temperate in north with mild, rainy
winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south.
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish
and other 1%.
Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish
and other 1%.
Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages
of commerce), French (commerce).
History: Tunisia gained independence from France
in 1956. President Habib Bourgiuba created a stringent
one-party state, ruling the country for 31 years and
repressing Islamic fundamentalism. Recently, Tunisia
has taken a moderate, non-committal posture in its foreign
relations. Domestically, it has tried to deal with increasing
pressure for a more open political society.
The
Community in Canada
Adel Bahri is one of only a handful of Tunisians living
in Canada. Like the Saudis, their communities in Canada
consist of hundreds, not thousands. However, on the
whole, they constitute part of the much bigger Muslim
community in general.
Bahri lived in Montreal and Ottawa before moving to
Toronto in 1995 where he plays a role on and off the
field with Toronto United - one of 14 teams in the Toronto
Muslim Soccer League formed in the late 1980s. As Bahri
explains, "Soccer is a religion in the Arabic-speaking
community."
While some cafés will broadcast the games, bars are
obviously not a part of the Muslim social circuit. But
that doesn't mean people won't gather for the games.
World Cup becomes a major occasion for house visits
and other gatherings of family and friends. Some pastries
and soft drinks are the common fare and maybe some special
tea if things really get going.
This is the third time that Tunisia has qualified for
the World Cup, the first two being 1978 and 1998. In
Bahri's opinion, the 1978 team was the best. "To be
honest, I think this might just be that we play and
then go," he said with resignation.
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