World Cup 2022

Tunisia are one of the more unfancied teams at the World Cup and for good reason. They made it through qualifying with more than their share of luck.

And at the Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia made it to the quarter-finals - but do not be fooled into thinking that was much of an achievement. They lost more games than they won! This is a team who have very low expectations coming into the tournament

Who is the Tunisia manager?

Manager Jalel Kadri took charge at the start of this year on the back of their Cup of Nations misery and his career is difficult to assess. He has had about 22 jobs in club football but it is pretty reflective of the difficulties of coaching in the Arabic game.

He previously was on the back room team with Tunisia though and that helped him understand the personalities in the dressing room and to make tactical changes that were needed.

He is Tunisian and passionate about making a mark on this team and this tournament. He feels pressure to perform well and give back to the nation.

What tactics can we expect from them at the World Cup?

This is a cautious team who aim to keep clean sheets and then play counter attacking football. They will set up in a 4-3-3 formation but with little intent to play on the front foot.

 

A lot of the time it is fair to say they will look like a 4-5-1 and while it is a defensive approach, it is not necessarily a negative. Tunisia know that they have limitations and that playing an open game would not help them in any way

Who are the players to watch for Tunisia?

One to watch is Ellyes Skhiri who plies his trade with Cologne and is a bustling midfielder who will make himself known from the first whistle. 

His energy will set the tone for the rest of the side as he leads by example. He is always one of the most hard working players on the pitch and with 48 international appearances now under his belt, he has the experience for a stage like this.

Who is favourite to be top scorer for Tunisia?

Whabi Khazri is the guy this team rely on for goals. His pace and ingenuity are their best - possibly only - chance of catching out the teams in this group to help produce a magic moment.

He plays for Montpellier and has something special about the way he plays. He scored twice at the last World Cup and is second on the nation’s list of all-time top scorers with 24 goals from 71 games.

How did Tunisia qualify for the World Cup?

Tunisia were African play-off winners following a two-legged affair with Mali. They won the away leg courtesy of an own goal and then drew 0-0 in the return leg at home. It was pretty dour stuff with very little imagination or craft involved - but the main thing was they got over the line and it felt like a big relief.

What are the ambitions for this Tunisia team?

The first aim has to be to win a game. Doing so will genuinely feel like a big moment. Their most likely chance to do so is against Australia - but if it happens it is still likely to be by a very tight margin.

The ultimate ambition would be to give a good impression of themselves and make it out of the group. But with Denmark and France in their group, it seems unlikely.

Tunisia World Cup Odds

If you have not worked it out by now, Tunisia are going to defend and run and battle in Qatar. After that, they will attempt to score and hopefully produce an upset somewhere along the way. Their odds to win the tournament at a big price 900/1 reflect the ability in the squad.

An underdog story is unlikely here but if they show collective strength and do manage to nick the odd goal, you never know!

Tunisia World Cup prediction by oddschecker

With a tough group containing France and Denmark, we don't expect Tunisia to qualify for the knockout rounds. We think they have a chance to avoid losing all three of their group games against Australia, but we think Tunisia to go out at the group stage at 1/4 is a safe bet.