Ahead of their sixth World Cup campaign, North African nation Tunisia will enter a tough group with the aim of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Appearing in their second consecutive World Cup after 12 years away, The Carthage Eagles arrive in Qatar as the eighth-lowest ranked side in the competition, without many household names throughout a largely domestic squad.
Nonetheless, despite a lack of superstar quality, Tunisia have historically proven to be a difficult side to beat, famously frustrating England at the 2018 World Cup until a 91st-minute strike from Harry Kane broke a staunch resistance.
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Having reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, after a run to the semi-finals in 2019, the nation have consistently proven themselves as one of the leading African countries in recent years, sitting only behind Senegal (19th) and Morocco (22nd) in the official FIFA rankings.
Under new boss Jalel Kadri, they have only lost once, to Brazil, having beaten strong Chilean and Japanese sides to nil in warm-up friendlies.
Here, Sports Mole assesses Tunisia's chances of causing a World Cup upset.
GROUP
Drawn in Group D alongside defending world champions France and perennial dark horses Denmark, it will be a tough road to the knockouts for Kadri's men.
Opening against the Scandinavian side on November 22, Tunisia then take on Australia four days later, the nation eight places below them in the world rankings.
Finishing off against Didier Deschamps's men, they will need to be at their defensive best against some of the finest attacking talents on the planet.
FIXTURES
November 22: Denmark vs. Tunisia (1pm, Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan)
November 26: Tunisia vs. Australia (10am, Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah)
November 30: Tunisia vs. France (3pm, Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan)
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Throughout a gruelling qualification process, The Carthage Eagles opened up an early lead in their group, beating Equatorial Guinea, Zambia and Mauritania with eight goals scored and zero conceded.
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Former Sunderland winger Wahbi Khazri scored in all three of those games, before the side dropped points in their next two outings to take things to the final match.
Nonetheless, with a 3-1 win over Zambia, the Tunisians set up a two-legged knockout tie with a talented Mali side for their place in Qatar.
The first leg in Bamako saw the only goal of the tie, as former Paris Saint-Germain youth product Moussa Sissako scored an extraordinary own goal to see Tunisia through, as the North Africans displayed their organisation and defensive grit.
RECENT FORM
Following their nerve-wracking run to Qatar, Tunisia began their qualification campaign for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea, as veteran striker Youssef Msakni came off the bench to score a 15-minute brace.
Since then, the Tunisians have played four friendlies, first beating Chile 2-0, before sinking a full-strength Japanese side by a three-goal margin.
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A 1-0 win over Comoros was followed up by a 5-1 defeat to World Cup favourites Brazil, as Neymar, Raphinha, Richarlison and Pedro ran riot for A Selecao in Paris, inflicting Tunisia's biggest defeat in over 50 years.
Coach Kadri was bullish in the aftermath, however, remarking that his side had "learnt their lesson" and had showed too much respect to their opponents.
With those five goals being the first that Tunisia had conceded in seven games, the signs suggest that the Carthage Eagles will have ironed out any glaring defensive deficiencies by the time they arrive in Qatar.
SQUAD
🔴⚪ OFFICIEL : La liste des 26 joueurs sélectionnées pour la Coupe du Monde 2022 !#Tunisie 🇹🇳 #CM2022 pic.twitter.com/hoa0OqIVeP
— Tunisie Football (@tunisiefootball) November 14, 2022
Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmen (Sfax), Bechir Ben Said (Monastir), Aymen Balbouli (Etoile du Sahel), Mouez Hassan (Club Africain)
Defenders: Mohamed Drager (Luzern), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Dylan Bronn (Salernitana), Nade Ghandri (Club Africain), Yassine Meriah (ES Tunis), Bilel Ifa (Al-Kuwait), Ali Maaloul (Al-Ahly), Ali Abdi (Caen)
Midfielders: Aissa Laidouni (Ferencvaros), Ellis Skhiri (FC Cologne), Ghaylen Chaaleli (ES Tunis), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (ES Tunis), Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City), Ferjani Sassi (Al-Duhail), Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby)
Forwards: Naim Sliti (Ettifaq), Wahbi Khazri (Montpellier), Saifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek), Yassine Khenissi (Al-Kuwait), Youssef Msakni (Al-Arabi), Issam Jebali (Odense)
STAR PLAYER - WAHBI KHAZRI
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One of the more internationally recognisable names in Tunisian football, thanks to spells at Sunderland, Saint-Etienne and now Montpellier, 31-year-old Khazri will lead his nation for the second consecutive World Cup.
The only Tunisian player to score more than one World Cup goal, having found the back of the net against Belgium and Panama in 2018, he has 71 caps for his country, notching 24 goals, to make him the second-highest goalscorer in the national team's history.
Coming through the youth academy at Bastia on his birth island of Corsica, Khazri made his professional debut at the age of 18, helping the club to sensational back-to-back promotions from the third tier all the way to Ligue 1.
Following spells at Bordeaux, Sunderland and Rennes, he scored 33 goals in 100 appearances for Saint-Etienne, including a sensational 70-yard strike against Metz last campaign.
Alongside veteran goalscorer Youssef Msakni, who has 85 goals and 54 assists to his name in 144 Qatari League appearances, Khazri's wicked set-piece delivery and eye for the spectacular could be crucial if Tunisia are to pull off any smash-and-grabs in Qatar.
MANAGER - JALEL KADRI
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Fifty-year-old Kadri is quite the serial coach, having managed 19 different club sides across 22 separate stints.
Ascending to the top job after the sacking of Mondher Kebaier, he had previously coached the Under-20s back in 2007, before taking on the role of the national team's assistant coach for the second time in 2021.
Spending time in Saudi Arabia as well as Tunisia, Kadri has over 20 years of managerial experience, and knows the Tunisian game better than most.
After a string of encouraging performances to kickstart his reign, including five wins in his opening eight, it looks as if he will oversee an organised, well-drilled side.
WORLD CUP RECORD
Best finish: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018)
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Tunisia have never progressed to the knockout stages of the World Cup, finishing third in their group three times, and bottom twice.
Their two wins in the competition have come from their first ever and most recent games, leaving a gap of over 30 years between those two successes.
First, in 1978, the Carthage Eagles stormed to a 3-1 win over Mexico, before a Wahbi Khazri-inspired 2-1 win over Panama capped off their latest campaign after defeats to Belgium and England.
With tough games to come this time around, Kadri will certainly be looking to that clash with Australia as an opportunity for a third-ever win.
PREDICTION
Placed in such a tough group, it is difficult to see Tunisia progressing in place of either France or Denmark, so we expect the North Africans to be fighting it out with Australia for third place.
Nonetheless, given their defensive solidity, with Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri bringing extra steel to a gritty midfield, they certainly will not go down without a fight.
VERDICT: Third in Group D
