New Tunisia coach Trabelsi rings the changes in first squad
New Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi has made multiple changes in naming his first squad since taking charge last month, refreshing the side as they look to keep up their bid for FIFA World Cup qualification.
Tunisia take on Liberia and Malawi in qualifiers this month, seeking to keep up their top place in Group H as they set their sights on a seventh World Cup finals appearance in North America in 2026.
Tunisia are first up against Liberia at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium in Monrovia on March 19, followed a home game against Malawi on March 24 at the Hammadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium in Radès.
Trabelsi’s 26-man squad features four newcomers in the goalkeeping pair of Sami Helal and Abdessalem Hlaoui as well as 29-year-old centre back Hamza Ben Abda and fellow defender Houssem Ben Romdhane.
Striker Firas Chaouat wins a recall for the first time in four years while Anis Slimane and Naïm Sliti have not played since the last TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire.
There are another eight players who has been dropped from the squad over the last nine moths who are back in contention.
Unusually, however, there are no players from Tunisian champions and TotalEnergies CAF Champions League quarter-finalists Esperance in Trabelsi’s selection.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien), Sami Helal (Stade Tunisien), Abdessalem Hlaoui (US Monastir)
Defenders: Ali Abdi (Nice, France), Hamza Ben Abda (Club Africain), Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Houssem Ben Romdhane (Zarzis), Dylan Bronn, Nader Ghandri (Akhmat Grozny, Russia), Mahmoud Ghorbel (US Monastir), Montassar Talbi (Lorient, France)
Midfielders: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Ferencváros, Hungary), Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City, England), Hannibal Mejri (Burnely, England), Aïssa Laïdouni (Al-Wakrah, Qatar), Ferjani Sassi (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany),
Forwards: Elias Achouri (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Firas Chaouat (Etoile Sahel), Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek), Hamza Khadhraoui (Club Africain), Amor Yonas Layouni (Hacken, Sweden), Sayfallah Ltaief (FC Twente, Netherlands), Hazem Mastouri (US Monastir), Elias Saad (St Pauli, Germany), Naïm Sliti (Al Shamal, Qatar).