FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

This is Tunisia’s second bite at the World Cup, the small North African country having qualified for the 1978 finals where they inflicted a 3-1 defeat on Mexico.

That victory earned them a place in history as the first African nation to win a game at the World Cup Finals. Minnows they may be but England, Romania and Colombia — their first round opponents — will certainly not make the mistake of taking them for granted.

Polish born Henry Kasperczak’s squad does not let many goals slip past its defences, one solitary score in the qualifying rounds as good a record as that boasted by more blue-blooded sides. And to outpoint group favourites Egypt was a real feather in their collective caps.

Runners-up in the African Nations Cup in 1996, Tunisia’s form has dipped a little in 1998. They went out at the quarter-final stage in this year’s African Nations Cup, but they still represent a well organised, disciplined side with one undoubted star in their midst — Adel Sellimi, the Nantes striker.

He had an impressive strike rate on the road to France, putting in four goals from six games. Another central player is Zoubeir Beya, who had a bust-up with Kasperczak which led to his being dropped from the team for a time. Twice voted Tunisia’s Footballer of the Year, Beya is based with Freiburg in Germany.

Their World Cup preparations were not without tragedy, with the death from a heart attack of defender Ben Rekhissa during a friendly for his club after Tunisia’s 1-0 win over Egypt.

Most of Kasperczak’s side play in their country’s domestic league including Ferid Chouchene and Faouzi Rouissi.

Tunisia will be doing well to match the accomplishment of their predecessors in Argentina 20 years ago but they can expect plenty of support in their opening match against England in Marseille so anything could happen.