Reportage
World Cup 2022: Tunisia at home
Wahbi Khazri with the Tunisia jersey during CAN 2022. (Illustration).
© AFP/Issouf Sanogo
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
3 mins
Tunisia faces Denmark on Tuesday, November 22 for its first group stage match of the 2022 World Cup. The Carthage Eagles should be supported by a fairly large number of supporters.
The Tunisian community numbers approximately 35,000 nationals in Qatar.
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From our special envoy to Qatar,
Coming from Tunis, Paris, Amsterdam, or living in Doha, the Tunisian supporters met in Qatar do not beat around the bush.
For them, the
Carthage Eagles
will feel like home.
And Jalel Kadri's players will be celebrated as they should be, with around 35,000 Tunisian expatriates in Qatar, and those from the African continent and Europe.
"
Those who live here have all tried to buy tickets
," says Hakim, drinking his coffee, red jersey on his back and impatient to be there.
Take advantage of this sporting gathering
"
It's going to be a big party.
Above all, we will try to forget our daily life.
The world is emerging bruised from a Covid pandemic and there is war in Ukraine.
We must take advantage of this sporting gathering and put aside the criticisms of Qatar.
All the countries in the world have things to blame themselves for
, ”claims Abdenour, proud of this first World Cup in an Arab country.
Beside him, his friend Fayçal agrees and admits: “
We feel a bit like in Tunisia here.
We hear Arabic spoken.
There are many people from the Maghreb in Doha, especially Moroccans and Algerians
.
»
Coming from Tunis, Osama is happy, even if he admits that financially: “
It's a sacrifice.
He takes advantage of being hosted by a friend there.
“
We love our Tunisia team
,” he said simply.
One of them who lives in Paris explains that he will spend a little over 2000 euros to “
see
” Wahbi Khazri and his teammates.
“
I promise you that the stands will be all red.
We are going to sing, we are going to dance, we are going to make noise
, ”he says.
This is the sixth participation in the World Cup for Tunisia, eliminated in the first round in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2018.
Tunisia is a team that is often difficult to maneuver.
In their last warm-up match, the Tunisians beat Iran 2-0.
Last June, the Tunisians won the Kirin Cup – a friendly international competition in Japan – dominating Chile and Japan.
“
We know there will be many Tunisians in the stadium, and Tunisia is a great footballing nation.
It won't be easy
,” warns Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, who doesn't want to see Tunisia as the weakest team in the group.
“
We are used to playing without our
fans,” tempers player Kasper Schmeichel, goalkeeper for OGC Nice.
“
We deserved our qualification
”
Is the knockdown inflicted by
Brazil
during Tunisia's preparation match last September in Paris remembered (5-1)?
The performance of the Carthage Eagles was not very reassuring, and one can doubt their qualities against solid and experienced opponents.
However, in Qatar, Denmark and France are on Tunisia's menu.
The men of Jalel Kadri will therefore have a lot to do to hope to cross, for the first time in their history, the milestone of the group stage of a World Cup.
“
A big thank you for the host country.
We are proud as an Arab country to see that we are able to organize a World Cup.
We want to represent the Arab nation well.
We are going to have a lot of Tunisian and African supporters and we hope to be up to it.
Our team is experienced.
We deserved our qualification
, ”says Jalel Kadri at a press conference.
“
The fans are always behind us.
We are ready to please them
, ”concludes striker Issam Jebali, who plays in Denmark.
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