Fans are eagerly waiting for the final of the successful 2021 Arab Cup, which will feature the two teams of Tunisia and Algeria in a grand Arab football celebration. Before their match on Saturday in the final of the Arab Cup at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha, the memory of football holds many exciting and competitive matches between the neighboring countries of Tunisia and Algeria over more than 58 years since their first direct encounter.
Although the 2021 Arab Cup final will be the first meeting of the Tunisian and Algerian national teams at the Arab level, the number of encounters between the Eagles of Carthage and the Desert Warriors exceeds 47 matches played across various levels, including 21 official matches and 26 friendlies.
The football rivalry between Tunisia and Algeria dates back to the 1950s when Algeria was a French colony and played under the name "National Liberation Front Team," representing Algeria to the French authorities. The two teams met several times, with the National Liberation Front Team having the upper hand.
From 1963 onward, particularly after Algeria's independence, the matches became more regular and official. The first match between Tunisia and Algeria took place on December 15, 1963, in a friendly match hosted at the Stade de la Marsa in Tunis, which ended in a goalless draw.
In total, the two teams have met in 47 matches, with very close margins: Algeria won 17 times, while Tunisia emerged victorious in 15 matches, with 15 matches ending in a draw. Historically, the Algerian national team scored 48 goals, while the Tunisian national team netted 42 goals against their rivals.
While the Desert Warriors had a slight edge overall, the Tunisian national team has dominated official encounters, winning 9 out of 21 official matches against the Algerian team, which only won six times.
The memory of direct encounters retains the largest victory in the history of matches between the two teams, awarded to Algeria, when they defeated their opponent 4-1 at the Tunisian stadium in El Menzah. This match took place on October 6, 1985, during the qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, ending with the biggest win so far. Algeria's goals were scored by Mounir in two instances, Rabah Madjer, and Qassi Said, while Abdelkader Rekkabi scored the only goal for Tunisia. In the return match at the July 5 Stadium, Algeria renewed their victory with a clean sheet of three goals, resulting in a total aggregate win of 7-1 over the two matches.
Jamal Mounir remains the top scorer in the history of matches between the two teams, with 4 goals, followed by Rabah Madjer with 3 goals, while Tunisia's top scorer is Mohi Eddine Habita, also with 3 goals.
The Tunisian national team will be playing their second final in three participations in the Arab Cup, having won the title in the inaugural edition in 1963, while they exited in the first round in 1988. On the other hand, the Algerian team is competing in its first final in the history of its Arab Cup participations.
