Tunisia
Jalel Kadri rebuilt this Tunisia side on the unglamorous virtues: a tight shape, hard running, and a refusal to leave gaps, and it carried them smoothly through CAF qualifying. The numbers tell the harder story. This is a seventh tournament appearance, six of them in the last eight cycles, and not once have the Carthage Eagles cleared the group stage. They beat France in 2022, a result the whole continent celebrated, then packed their bags anyway. Aïssa Laïdouni sets the tempo from midfield, Hannibal Mejbri supplies the imagination, and Wahbi Khazri remains a senior voice up front. The draw, though, has been merciless. Group F pairs them with the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden, and to reach the round of 32 Tunisia would likely need a draw with one of those three and a win besides. On paper, an uphill task.
Standings · F
After matchday 3 of 3| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NED | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +6 | 7 |
| 2 | JPN | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +4 | 5 |
| 3 | SWE | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | TUN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -10 | 0 |