Carthage Eagles fans are eagerly awaiting the decisive match against the Mali national team on Friday, as part of the first leg of the final round of the African qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Tunisian and Malian teams are competing for one of Africa's five spots in the finals, meeting in the last qualifying stage first in Bamako on Friday and then in Rades for the return leg on Tuesday.
The "Carthage Eagles" are looking to achieve a positive result in the first leg at the 26 March Stadium to take the first step toward World Cup qualification, with the return leg in Tunisia being crucial for reaching the finals for the sixth time, after previously appearing in the tournaments of 1978 in Argentina, 1998 in France, 2002 in Japan, 2006 in Germany, and most recently in 2018 in Russia, setting an Arab record.
The Tunisian team completed the first part of its training at Rades Stadium before heading to Bamako on Wednesday evening, where the players had their last training session at the main stadium before the match. Tunisian coach Jalal Qadri expressed optimism regarding the chances of the "Carthage Eagles" returning with a positive result from Mali, facing a tough opponent on their home ground.
In a statement to "Sky News Arabia" before the last training session for the Tunisian team prior to traveling to Bamako, Qadri said, "The team has gained enough maturity and experience to seriously contend for a World Cup qualification card. We do not deny that traveling to Mali is exhausting and that the match will be held in difficult conditions, but we are well aware that millions of Tunisian fans longing for the joy of qualification are waiting for us, and we will meet their expectations."
The Tunisian coach, appointed as a replacement for Munther Al-Kabeer after the team's exit from the Africa Cup of Nations 2022, added, "We have accounted for all potential scenarios, and we have complete confidence in all the players present. We have plenty of options despite some unexpected absences, but we must show a good level for a team that has significant experience in World Cup participation. The team will play to maintain the reputation of Tunisian football, which leads in the number of previous World Cup participations, and this is a very important factor that will drive us forward without allowing us to fall into the trap of underestimating the opponent."
Qadri revealed that the Tunisian national team will play both the first and second legs without Wahbi Khazri, the Saint-Étienne striker, and Dylan Bronn, the Metz defender. However, "the group will not be affected by these absences despite their importance," as the coaching staff has alternative solutions in both defense and attack to secure a ticket to the finals.
A Significant Responsibility
On another note, striker Naïm Sliti believes that all players understand the magnitude of the responsibility placed upon them and the anticipation of Tunisian fans to secure a presence in the Qatar World Cup. Sliti stated at a press conference before the "Carthage Eagles" departed for Mali, "We participated in the Arab Cup for national teams in Qatar last December and left there with the best impressions and memories after reaching the final. We want to return to Qatar to participate in the World Cup. We will fiercely defend our chances and can return from the first match with a positive result to facilitate our task in the decisive game in Rades."
The Tunisian and Malian teams previously met in the group stage of the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon last January, where Mali won 1-0 in a match that sparked much controversy after Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe declared the end of the match five minutes before the original time expired.
History favors the Malian national team in their previous direct encounters with Tunisia, as the two teams faced each other in 7 official matches, with Mali winning 4 times, while Tunisia won only once, and two matches ended in a draw.
Their first encounter was in 1972 during the Munich 72 Olympics, which ended with Mali winning 2-0, but Tunisia later won the return match 4-0, which remains Tunisia's only victory in official matches against Mali. In the Africa Cup of Nations finals, the two teams met in 1994, with Mali winning 2-0, then in 2019 when they drew 1-1, and in the 2022 edition, where Mali renewed its dominance with a 1-0 victory.
