The Tunisia national football team ( ar, منتخب تونس لكرة القدم; ) represents
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
in men's international
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. The team is a member of both
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
and
CAF, the Confederation of African Football. It is governed by the
Tunisian Football Federation
The Tunisian Football Federation ( ar, الجامعة التونسية لكرة القدم, french: Fédération Tunisienne de Football, FTF) is the governing body of football in Tunisia. It was established in 1957. It became a member in the FIFA ...
, founded in 1957. Colloquially known as the Eagles of Carthage, the team's colours are red and white, and the
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
is its symbol. Most of Tunisia's home matches are played at the
Stade Olympique de Radès in
Radès
Radès ( ar, رادس) is a harbour city in Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia. Situated south-east of the capital Tunis, some consider it a Tunis suburb, and parts of the harbor installations of Tunis are located in Radès.
Rades is divided int ...
since 2001.
Jalel Kadri
Jalel Kadri ( ar, جلال القادري; born on 14 December 1971), is a Tunisian football coach who is currently the head coach of the Tunisia national football team, Tunisian national football team.
Coaching career
His first coaching posi ...
has been coaching the team since 30 January 2022.
Tunisia have made six
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
s and twenty
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internati ...
tournaments, and participated in four editions of the
Olympic football tournaments. Tunisia qualified for the
1978 World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup was the 11th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football world championship tournament among the men's senior national teams. It was held in Argentina between 1 and 25 June.
The Cup was won by ...
, when it became the first African and Arab team to win a World Cup match by defeating
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Though Tunisia is one of the most competitive African national teams in international football, having won one African Cup of Nations, as hosts in
2004, Tunisia is also one of the underachieving teams as they have failed to progress from the group stages at every World Cup and Olympics they have participated in.
History
1928–1956: Early years
An unofficial Tunisian team was formed in 1928, comprising the best Tunisian players from the
Tunisian league. The team's first match was on 11 March 1928, against the
France national football B team
The France national football B team is a national football team representing France that plays matches at a lower level than the France national football team. In France, the team is usually called "France A–". They commonly played matches agai ...
; Tunisia lost 8–2. Their next friendlies, against the same team on 23 March 1930 and 26 March 1933, also resulted in heavy defeats, 0–5 and 1–6 respectively. Tunisia had to wait until 1932 for their first match win, a 1–0 victory over
French Algeria
French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...
.
Most of the matches that Tunisia played in the 1930s and '40s were against French teams, whether it was
French Algeria
French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...
, the
French military team or the France B team, at the
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome (; oc, Estadi Velodròm, ), known as the Orange Vélodrome for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1 since it opened in 1937, ...
in
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
.
1956–1962: Post-independence
Tunisia gained
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
from France on 20 March 1956. The
Tunisian Football Federation
The Tunisian Football Federation ( ar, الجامعة التونسية لكرة القدم, french: Fédération Tunisienne de Football, FTF) is the governing body of football in Tunisia. It was established in 1957. It became a member in the FIFA ...
was founded on 29 March 1957 and the Tunisian team played a match with Austrian club
FC Admira Wacker Mödling
Fußballklub Flyeralarm Admira Wacker Mödling, also known as Flyeralarm Admira for sponsorship reasons or simply Admira, is a football club from Mödling, Austria. The club was originally formed in 1905 as ''SK Admira Wien'' in the Austrian cap ...
on 30 December of the same year and managed to win 4–1. Tunisia became affiliated with
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
and the
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football, or CAF for short (french: link=yes, Confédération Africaine de Football, ar, link=yes, الاتحاد الأفريقي لكرة القدم, al-Ittiḥād al-Afrīqī li-Kurat al-Qadam), is the administ ...
in 1960. The independent Tunisia played their first match against
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
on 1 June 1957, in the midst of the
Algerian War
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
; Tunisia lost 2–1. They played their first official match at the
1957 Pan Arab Games
The 2nd Pan Arab Games were held in Beirut, Lebanon between October 12 and October 28, 1957. 914 athletes from 10 countries participated in events in 12 sports.
Sports
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Medals won by country
References
External li ...
where they won against
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
4–3 after scoring the first Tunisian goal in an official competition by
Farzit. They also managed to get through
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
before losing in the final against
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
3–1.
In 1960, Yugoslavian
Milan Kristić
Milan Kristić was the a Yugoslav football coach who managed the Tunisia national team from 1960 to 1961. He led the Tunisian side which competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics, where they suffered three defeats to Poland, Argentina and Denmark and ...
became the first foreign manager; the national team qualified for the
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...
, their first international event after beating
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
; on 24 July 1960, the team experienced its biggest-ever defeat, losing 10–1 against
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. However, less than a month later, on 18 August, Tunisia recorded their biggest-ever win: an 8–1 thumping of
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. In the Olympic Games, the team suffered three defeats: against
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
6–1,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
2–1 and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
3–1.
1962–78: Golden generation
Frane Matošić
Frane Matošić (25 November 1918 – 29 October 2007) was a Croatian football player and coach who played as a striker. He is regarded as one of Hajduk Split's greatest players and he is the club's all-time leading goalscorer.
Playing career ...
was appointed as the second Yugoslav coach of Tunisia after Kristić led Tunisia to qualify for the Olympics. In 1962, Tunisia entered the
African Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time: the team qualified for the tournament after overcoming
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and went on to finish third after beating
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
in the third-place match. The team won the
1963 Arab Cup, after winning against Syria,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, Lebanon and
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
.
Tunisia also qualified for the
1963 Africa Cup of Nations, and
CAF decided that Tunisia would host the
1965 AFCON, making the final after beating
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
4–0 in the opening match in
Stade Chedly Zouiten
Stade Chedly Zouiten is a multi-purpose stadium in the Mutuelleville district of Tunis, Tunisia. It is currently used by football team Stade Tunisien. The stadium holds 18,000 people.
It hosted the 1965 Africa Cup of Nations. It was renovated fo ...
, losing 3–2 to
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
in extra-time of the final. Despite this early success, Tunisia did not enter the Cup of Nations again until 1976, and qualify until 1978. In 1973, the team entered the
Palestine Cup of Nations
The Palestine Cup ( ar, كأس فلسطين, ''Kaʾs Filasṭīn'') was a football competition which was held between countries in the Arab world. The tournament ''de facto'' acted as the replacement for the Arab Cup during the long interruption b ...
and won in dominant fashion, winning all six of their matches overcoming Syria,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
,
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
and Iraq, scoring 19 goals, and conceding only three.
In February 1975, after a short stint with Hungarian manager
André Nagy,
Abdelmajid Chetali was hired. This coincided with the return of the team to the competition in the African Cup of Nations, and Tunisia qualified for their
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
debut in
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
after a remarkable performance in the qualifiers led by a distinguished generation with
Mokhtar Dhouib,
Néjib Ghommidh,
Raouf Ben Aziza and
Tarak Dhiab
Tarak Dhiab ( ar, طارق ذياب, born January 15, 1954) is a former footballer from Tunisia. The African Footballer of the Year in 1977, he is listed by the Tunisian Football Federation as having 107 caps for the Tunisian national football ...
. Tunisia defeated Mexico 3–1, but were defeated by
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
1–0, and drew scoreless against defending champion
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
1978–1994: Decline
Following their first World Cup, Tunisia experienced a decline; between 1980 and 1992, the team managed to qualify for only two tournaments – the
1982 African Cup of Nations and the
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
– in both, they were knocked out in the first round. They, however, reached the last round of the
1986 World Cup qualifiers by beating Nigeria before being defeated by
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
. Former
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
manager
Jean Vincent
Jean Vincent (29 November 1930 – 13 August 2013) was a French international footballer and manager.
Playing career
Playing primarily at outside-left, Vincent enjoyed a highly successful career at club and international level, winning numero ...
was hired but failed to qualify for the
1988 African Cup in Morocco after a defeat against Algeria. He also achieved catastrophic results in the
African Games
The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (A ...
with defeats against Cameroon,
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
and
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, and was immediately sacked.
Taoufik Ben Othman
Taoufik Ben Othman ( ar, توفيق بن عثمان) (born 24 March 1939) is a Tunisian football player and coach.
He began his career very young at the Avenir Sportif de La Marsa and joined the junior individual selections. In 1958-1959 he part ...
, assistant manager in 1978, improved Tunisia's results relatively as they qualified for the Olympic Games after surpassing
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
in the qualifiers. However, he was sacked days before the start of the competition after poor results in the
1988 Arab Cup and failure to win in their matches against
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq, as well as friendlies against
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
and East Germany.
Polish manager
Antoni Piechniczek
Antoni Krzysztof Piechniczek (born 3 May 1942) is a Polish former football player and manager. From 2007 to 2011 he was a Polish senator.
Playing career
Piechniczek was born in Chorzów. He played for clubs such as Naprzód Lipiny, Legia W ...
was temporarily appointed and supervised the team in the first round of World Cup qualifiers 1990 and also in the finals of the Olympic Games; in the latter, Tunisia tied
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
0–0 and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
2–2 and suffered a defeat from
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
4–1.
Mokhtar Tlili
Mokhtar Tlili (born on 8 October 1942) is a Tunisian Association footballer, football manager. He coached the Tunisia national football team.
He was a defender at CS Cheminots, he interrupts his playing career at the age of 25 years to become a ...
was appointed manager, however, he still missed the
African Cup in 1990 after a defeat to Senegal. Piechniczek came back but still did not qualify for the 1990 World Cup. Despite missing the
1992 African Cup, the federation renewed confidence in him because of the respectable performance he had given in the qualifiers; an early exit from the World Cup qualifiers for
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
contributed to his dismissal after a draw with Morocco.
Youssef Zouaoui replaced him; Tunisia hosted the 1994 African Cup of Nations replacing original hosts
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
, but finished at the bottom of the group, after a 2–0 loss to Mali and a draw with Zaire.
1994–2002: Beginning of resurgence
Henryk Kasperczak
Henryk Wojciech Kasperczak (born 10 July 1946) is a Polish football manager and a former player who most recently managed the Tunisia national football team.
As a player, Kasperczak took part in two FIFA World Cups with Poland, achieving third ...
became the new manager after Tunisia hosted the 1994 African Cup of Nations. Tunisia qualified for the
1996 AFCON and finished second in their group, putting them through to the quarter-finals. Tunisia went on to beat
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
in the quarter-finals and
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...
in the semi-finals, to reach their first major final in 31 years, but lost to host country
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
2–0.
Tunisia reached the quarter-finals of the
1998 African Cup of Nations
The 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso was the 21st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (ACN), the national football championship of Africa, administered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Just like in 1996, the field of ...
in the lead of the group with a win over
DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
and a defeat from
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, where they were eliminated in a penalty shootout by host country
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
. The team also qualified for
that year's World Cup after a 20-year absence: they again failed to advance from the group stages, losing 2–0 to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and 1–0 to
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, and drawing 1–1 with
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Kasperczak was sacked and replaced with
Francesco Scoglio, who guided the team to the
2000 African Cup of Nations
The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field ...
, where they finished in fourth place after losing to
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
in the semi-finals.
The following year, Scoglio departed to rejoin
Genoa CFC, sparking a period of severe instability.
Eckhard Krautzun
Eckhard Krautzun (born 13 January 1941) is a German football coach and former player.
Managerial career
As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin.
In 1968, h ...
initially took over and guided the team to a second successive
World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is a competitive match that a national association football team takes in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the (men's) FIFA World Cup.
Qualifying tournaments are hel ...
, but then resigned, citing interference from the
Tunisian FA with his coaching.
Henri Michel
Henri Louis Michel (28 October 1947 – 24 April 2018) was a French football player and coach. He played as a midfielder for Nantes and the France national team, and later went on to coach various clubs and national teams all over the wor ...
replaced him, but was sacked when Tunisia crashed out of the
2002 African Cup of Nations without scoring a single goal after scoreless draws with
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
and
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...
and a defeat from Egypt. Finally,
Ammar Souayah
Ammar Souayah ( ar, عمار السويّح) (born June 11, 1957) is a retired Tunisian footballer.
Tunisia national football team
In 2002, Ammar Souayah signed as the coach of the Tunisia national team and led the team at the FIFA World Cup. ...
took over in time for the
2002 World Cup; the team drew in friendlies with Norway and South Korea and were defeated by Denmark and Slovenia. In the finals, Tunisia exited the tournament in the group stage, drawing 1–1 with
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, losing 2–0 to
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and co-hosts
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, prompting a search for a new manager.
2002–2008: Roger Lemerre era: African domination
In September 2002, the
Tunisian Football Federation
The Tunisian Football Federation ( ar, الجامعة التونسية لكرة القدم, french: Fédération Tunisienne de Football, FTF) is the governing body of football in Tunisia. It was established in 1957. It became a member in the FIFA ...
announced that it was finalizing a contract with former France manager
Roger Lemerre
Roger Léon Maurice Lemerre-Desprez (born 18 June 1941) is a French professional football manager and former player. During his managerial career, he was in charge of the French, Tunisian and Moroccan national teams. He also managed numerous ...
. Tunisia hosted the
2004 African Cup of Nations, winning the group. They defeated Senegal in the quarter-finals, and Nigeria in the semi-finals. Tunisia built a 1–0 lead after four minutes with Mehdi Nafti's concentration pushed by Francileudo Santos, before Morocco levelled. Tunisia restored their lead, giving them their first Africa Cup of Nations, African Cup of Nations title. They also won the CAF's African National Team of the Year award. Lemerre became the first manager to win two different continental tournaments, having previously won UEFA Euro 2000, Euro 2000 with France.
As a result, Tunisia qualified for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany, playing the hosts,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and Australia national soccer team, Australia. The only points they would win was a victory over Australia. Before their 2006 World Cup appearance, Lemerre took the Tunisians to a training camp in Switzerland, where they played international friendlies against Swiss clubs. Tunisia would only record one draw in Germany, against Saudi Arabia, losing against Spain national football team, Spain and Ukraine national football team, Ukraine.
Hatem Trabelsi announced his retirement from international football after eight years, and Lemerre led Tunisia to the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Tunisia won their 2008 AFCON group after a draw in the opening match against Senegal 2–2, a 3–1 victory over South Africa, and a goalless draw against South Africa. They then lost against
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
3–2 in extra time.
2008–2014: Disappointments
Portuguese Humberto Coelho was appointed as the new manager on 3 June 2008. Coelho would fail to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Faouzi Benzarti was appointed as the new manager, and was also sacked after Tunisia were eliminated from the group stage in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. In June 2010, Bertrand Marchand was appointed manager for a two-year contract. After a series of horrendous results, Tunisia fell to 65th in the FIFA World Rankings, the worst in its history. Sami Trabelsi was appointed, and the team qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a defeat by
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
.
In the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia snatched a late winner against
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
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, capital = Algiers
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, relig ...
, before a defeat by Ivory Coast national football team, Ivory Coast, 3–0. The last match ended with a 1–1 draw against
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
. In February 2013, Nabil Maâloul replaced Sami Trabelsi; in their first two 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifications, Tunisia beat Sierra Leone 2–1 and clinched a 2–2 draw in Freetown.
On 16 June, during the fifth round of the group stage, Tunisia tied 1–1 against Equatorial Guinea. A 2–0 loss to Cape Verde on 7 September all but eliminated Tunisia; however, Tunisia advanced after FIFA disqualified Cape Verde for cheating. They would then be knocked out by Cameroon.
2014–present: Renewal, improvement, but fall short
Belgian manager Georges Leekens was appointed in early 2014; early results included a 1–1 draw against
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and a 1–0 win over South Korea national football team, South Korea, both in friendly matches. Under Leekens, the team climbed from 49th to 22nd in the FIFA rankings. Tunisia qualified for the 2015 African Cup of Nations, and topped their group for the first time since 2008, winning against
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...
and drawing with Cape Verde national football team, Cape Verde and
DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a defeat to host Equatorial Guinea national football team, Equatorial Guinea. In July 2015,
Henryk Kasperczak
Henryk Wojciech Kasperczak (born 10 July 1946) is a Polish football manager and a former player who most recently managed the Tunisia national football team.
As a player, Kasperczak took part in two FIFA World Cups with Poland, achieving third ...
returned as manager after 17 years. He managed to qualify the team for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, 2017 African Cup, and reached the quarter-finals of the competition after beating Algeria and Zimbabwe national football team, Zimbabwe, before losing again in this round, this time against
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
.
On 27 April 2017, Nabil Maâloul returned as manager despite the disapproval of the Tunisian supporters following the failure at the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, but this time he qualified Tunisia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Tunisia's qualification for the World Cup and its results in friendlies against Iran national football team, Iran and Costa Rica national football team, Costa Rica, led to its rise to 14th place in the FIFA World Rankings, their best ever. Before the World Cup, Tunisia drew with Turkey national football team, Turkey and Portugal national football team, Portugal, in addition to a narrow defeat against Spain 1–0. Despite this, in the World Cup, Tunisia were once again eliminated from the group stage. In the first match,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
won 2–1.
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
defeated the North Africans 5–2, and in Tunisia's last game against Panama national football team, Panama, the Arab nation won 2–1. Tunisia qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with new manager Alain Giresse; the new manager would only record three ties, against Angola national football team, Angola, Mali national football team, Mali, and Mauritania national football team, Mauritania to qualify for the round 16. They eventually would win against
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, and
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
3–0 in the quarter-finals, to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time in 15 years, losing to
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
1–0 in extra time. In September 2021, the national team began its 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with three consecutive victories against Equatorial Guinea, Zambia, and Mauritania; they would then draw Mauritania 0–0 and lose against Equatorial Guinea 1–0, to advance for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round, third round on the top of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round#Group B, the group.
Qatar hosted the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup; Tunisia started with a 5–1 win against Mauritania. They then suffered an unexpected defeat to
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, before winning against the United Arab Emirates national football team, United Arab Emirates. In the quarter-finals Tunisia won against Oman national football team, Oman 2–1, and scored a 95th minute winner against Egypt in the semi-finals. Tunisia faced
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
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in the final, losing 2–0. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was postponed to early 2022; in the group stage, Tunisia began with a 1–0 defeat against Mali national football team, Mali, with Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe ending the match in the 85th minute. In the second match, the team achieved a 4–0 victory over Mauritania, and lost against Gambia national football team, Gambia in the last group match. Tunisia defeated
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
in the round of 16, and were eliminated by
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
.
In March, Tunisia qualified for their sixth World Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2022 tournament in Qatar, the first hosted by an Arab nation, after beating Mali 1–0 on aggregate, taking revenge for the earlier loss in the AFCON. They then defeated Chile national football team, Chile and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
to win the 2022 Kirin Cup Soccer title for the first time, and Ferjani Sassi was named the best player of the tournament while his compatriot Issam Jebali finished as the top scorer with two goals. Tunisia played two pre-World Cup friendlies in France in September 2022, defeating Comoros 1−0 in Croissy-sur-Seine and losing 5−1 to Brazil at the Parc des Princes in Paris. With the exception of Brazil, Tunisia's relatively good forms increased confidence on the side to break the knockout stage taboo as Tunisia found themselves grouped with world champions France national football team, France, European dark horse
Denmark
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, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and Asian minnows Australia men's national soccer team, Australia.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group D, Tunisia drew Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark 0−0 in a rather good display by the African side, increasing optimism for Tunisia to break the knockout taboo. Yet a shock 0−1 loss against the supposed weakest team in the group Australia followed severely damaged Tunisia's chance to progress, and while the Tunisians would go on achieving a historic victory over world champions France 1−0 thanked to Wahbi Khazri to equal the best performance of the 1978 edition, the win was not enough to seal Tunisia to the last sixteen as Mathew Leckie's goal against Denmark meant the Asian representative took the second place from the Carthage Eagles.
Home stadium
From 1956 to 2001, the national stadium was Stade Chedly Zouiten, Chedly Zouiten Stadium,
[,] with a capacity of 18,000.
It hosted also the 1965 African Cup of Nations, 1965 and 1994 African Cup of Nations and the 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship, 1977 FIFA U-20 World Cup before it was replaced after the construction of Stade El Menzah, El Menzah Stadium (45,000) in 1967 for the 1967 Mediterranean Games. Tunisia's first match at the stadium was played on 8 September 1967 against
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. It hosted the 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship and was completely renovated for the 1994 African Cup of Nations. It also hosted the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, 2004 AFCON.
In 2001, Stade 7 November was inaugurated as Tunisia's national stadium ahead of the 2001 Mediterranean Games. Located in
Radès
Radès ( ar, رادس) is a harbour city in Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia. Situated south-east of the capital Tunis, some consider it a Tunis suburb, and parts of the harbor installations of Tunis are located in Radès.
Rades is divided int ...
, the stadium has an all-seater capacity of 60,000. The first match at the stadium was played on 7 July 2001 against between Étoile du Sahel and CS Hammam-Lif for the Tunisian Cup final. Tunisia have used the stadium for almost every major home game, including the 2004 African Cup of Nations Final. The Tunisians often host their matches at the Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet in Monastir, Tunisia, Monastir which has a capacity of 20,000.
In addition, there are many other venues that host games, such as the Stade Olympique de Sousse, Olympic Stadium of Sousse, which hosted a friendly match between Tunisia and Switzerland national football team, Switzerland in November 2012 and also hosted a match in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, 2012 AFCON qualification.
Rivalries
Tunisia's main football rivals are its neighbours Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt, with which it shares close cultural and political relations, as well as smaller rivalries with fellow Arab countries of Africa like Sudan and Mauritania. Tunisia have played 45 games against
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
. After the Algerian War, independence of Algeria, a friendly match took place at the
Stade Chedly Zouiten
Stade Chedly Zouiten is a multi-purpose stadium in the Mutuelleville district of Tunis, Tunisia. It is currently used by football team Stade Tunisien. The stadium holds 18,000 people.
It hosted the 1965 Africa Cup of Nations. It was renovated fo ...
. The teams also met three times in the FIFA World Cup qualification, qualifying phase of the World Cup in 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF), 1970, 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF), 1978 and 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF), 1986. The overall record slightly favours the Algerians with sixteen wins, fourteen draws and fourteen losses. Algeria and Tunisia played three times in official competitions: twice in the
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internati ...
, in 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, 2013 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, 2017, which Tunisia won both times, and once in the Arab Cup in 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, 2021, which Algeria won.
The rivalry between
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and Tunisia is one of Africa's best and most exciting matches for their long continental history. The two teams have met 39 times in both official and friendly matches. The overall record is slightly favourable to the Tunisians, who won 16 matches against Egypt's 12. 11 matches ended in a draw.
Tunisia and Morocco have played 50 games since their independence from France in 1956. Their first match was for the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1962 World Cup qualification, which took place on 30 October 1960 in Casablanca. Most of the matches were played in FIFA World Cup qualification, World Cup qualification as they met in the qualifiers of 1962 FIFA World Cup, 1962, 1970 FIFA World Cup, 1970,
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, 1990 FIFA World Cup, 1990,
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
and 2006 FIFA World Cup, 2006. They also met four times in the African Cup of Nations. Two of them ended in a draw in 1978 African Cup of Nations, 1978 and 2000 African Cup of Nations, 2000 and the other two matches ended up as a Tunisian win in
2004 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
A rivalry between
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
and Tunisia is a somewhat tense one but the latter is usually the winner. Libya's lack of success at international arena, with the fact Libya is mostly absent from major international football event, make the rivalry between Libya and Tunisia lacking importance among Tunisians.
Team image
Supporters
Fans of the Tunisian national team display the Flag of Tunisia, country's national flag, usually with an emphasis on the red element.
Kits and crest
Six companies have supplied sports uniforms to the Tunisian national team, starting in 1970, when Adidas began to adopt the Tunisian national team's uniforms for 24 years. Italy's Lotto Sport Italia, Lotto provided Tunisia's until 1998, and Uhlsport has supplied the Tunisian team as well. From 2002 to 2011, Puma (brand), Puma provided the Tunisian national football team kits. In 2019, the Italian company Kappa (company), Kappa began making them.
Kit manufacturer
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results from the previous 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2021
2022
2023
Current staff
Players
Current squad
The following 26 players were called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
''Information correct as of 30 November 2022, after the match against France national football team, France.''
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the Tunisia squad within the last twelve months.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
SUS Player is serving a suspension.
WD Player withdrew for personal reasons.
Player records
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
Tunisia have appeared in the finals of the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
on five occasions, the first being at the 1978 FIFA World Cup where they finished ninth of 16. Between 1998 and 2006 they qualified for three straight World Cups, and wouldn't qualify again until 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018. However, Tunisia have never advanced from the group stage.
Africa Cup of Nations
Tunisia have participated in the Africa Cup of Nations, African Cup of Nations 20 times and holds the record for the number of consecutive participations with 15 between 1994 African Cup of Nations, 1994 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, 2021. In 1965 African Cup of Nations, 1965, Tunisia hosted the competition, as they reached the final and lost the title to
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
2–3 after extra time. In 1996 African Cup of Nations, 1996, the team reached the final for the second time, but was defeated by hosts South Africa national soccer team, South Africa 0–2. They didn't win it all until 2004.
FIFA Confederations Cup
Tunisia qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup on one occasion, a sole appearance in 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2005, after winning the 2004 AFCON. They only managed to win against Australia 2–0.
African Nations Championship
Tunisia have participated in two editions of the African Nations Championship, winning it in 2011 and reaching the quarter-finals in 2016.
FIFA Arab Cup
In 1963 Tunisia won the first edition of the FIFA Arab Cup, Arab Nations Cup, played only in a group stage. Tunisia won all four matches and finished at the top. They exited in the group stage in 1988.
The 2021 FIFA Arab Cup was the first version of the tournament under FIFA, with Tunisia reaching the final finishing behind
Algeria
)
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, map_caption =
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, capital = Algiers
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.
Mediterranean Games
Tunisia participated in the Football at the Mediterranean Games, football tournament in the Mediterranean Games 12 times, first in Football at the 1963 Mediterranean Games, 1963 in Naples, Italy. Tunisia reached the final twice, in the Football at the 1971 Mediterranean Games, 1971 edition in İzmir, Izmir, Turkey and in Football at the 2001 Mediterranean Games, 2001 in Tunis.
Minor Tournaments
Other records
Head-to-head record
FIFA rankings
Tunisia's FIFA rankings have ranged from 65 in July 2010, to 14 in April 2018.
Rankings by year
Below is a chart of Tunisia's FIFA ranking since 1993.
Honours
:''This is a list of honours for the senior Tunisia national team''
Official competitions
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internati ...
*
Champions: 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, 2004
*
Runner-up: 1965 Africa Cup of Nations, 1965, 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, 1996
*
Third-place: 1962 Africa Cup of Nations, 1962
African Nations Championship
*
Champions: 2011 African Nations Championship, 2011
FIFA Arab Cup
* Champions: 1963 Arab Cup, 1963
* Runner-up: 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, 2021
Football at the Mediterranean Games, Mediterranean Games
*
Gold Medal: Football at the 2001 Mediterranean Games, 2001
*
Silver Medal: Football at the 1971 Mediterranean Games, 1971
*
Bronze Medal: Football at the 1975 Mediterranean Games, 1975, Football at the 2013 Mediterranean Games, 2013
Football at the African Games, African Games
*
Silver Medal: Football at the 1991 All-Africa Games, 1991
*
Bronze Medal: Football at the 2007 All-Africa Games – Men's tournament, 2007
Football at the Pan Arab Games, Pan Arab Games
* Silver Medal: Football at the 1957 Pan Arab Games, 1957
Friendly competitions
7th November Cup
* Champions: 1991, 1993, 1995
Catalonia International Trophy
* Champions: 2011, 2016
Kirin Cup, Kirin Cup Soccer
* Champions: 2022 Kirin Cup Soccer, 2022
Palestine Cup of Nations
* Champions: 1973 Palestine Cup of Nations, 1973
LG Cup (association football), LG Cup
* Champions: 1997 LG Cup (Tunisia), 1997
* Runner-up: 2006 LG Cup (Tunisia), 2006
Kirin Cup, Kirin Challenge Cup
* Runner-up: Kirin Cup#2015 Kirin Challenge Cup, 2015
Kuneitra Cup
* Third-place: 1974 Kuneitra Cup, 1974
Minor tournaments
Tripoli Fair Tournament
* Champions: 1965
* Third-place: 1962
Tunis Four Nations Tournament
* Champions: 2003 Tunis Four Nations Tournament, 2003
Friendship Games
* Runner-up: 1963
* Third-place: 1984–85
Malta International Football Tournament, Malta International Tournament
* Third-place: 1994
Awards
CAF Awards#African National Team of the Year, African National Team of the Year
* First place : 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005
* Second place : 1996, 1997
See also
*
Tunisian Football Federation
The Tunisian Football Federation ( ar, الجامعة التونسية لكرة القدم, french: Fédération Tunisienne de Football, FTF) is the governing body of football in Tunisia. It was established in 1957. It became a member in the FIFA ...
* Tunisia A' national football team
* Tunisia national under-23 football team
* Tunisia national under-20 football team
* Tunisia national under-17 football team
* Tunisia national under-15 football team
* Tunisia women's national football team
* Tunisia women's national under-20 football team
* Tunisia women's national under-17 football team
''Other football codes''
* Tunisia national minifootball team
* Tunisia national futsal team
* Tunisia national beach soccer team
* Tunisia national American football team
Notes
References
Titles chronology
External links
*
FIFA profileTunisia national football team
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunisia National Football Team
Tunisia national football team,
African national association football teams
Africa Cup of Nations-winning countries, T