In Qatar, the Montpellier player born in Ajaccio would have exchanged his goal for a qualification in the round of 16.

But, on a personal level, he can rejoice in the dirty trick played by the French selection, for which he wore the jersey in the youth teams.

Remained on the bench against Denmark (0-0), entered for twenty minutes against Australia (1-0 defeat), he had ants in his legs at the Education City stadium and gave the lesson to the French, of course came with a completely revamped and already qualified team.

He rushed into the area and claimed a penalty (13th, 47th), put Steve Mandanda in difficulty with a heavy shot from the left (35th), and above all, punished the tricolor goalkeeper, preferred to Hugo Lloris for this match of "hairdressers", resisting the return of Youssouf Fofana and Axel Disasi (58th, 1-0).

The striker capsized his many supporters, noisy and colored in red, with happiness, by scoring in front of the bend where they had taken up residence.

The bench, where he had taken place at the start of the tournament, rose as one man under the influence of emotion.

"Benevolent Leader"

The captain left in stride, under a deserved thunder of applause.

Wahbi Khazri in Doha on November 30, 2022 © Miguel MEDINA / AFP

"He's a key player for us, he has the confidence of a group, he's the second top scorer in the history of Tunisian football, but we have to make choices," said Jalel Kadri the day before. coach of the Eagles of Carthage, by way of explanation.

The management of his striker had raised criticism in Tunisia.

A posteriori, their foundation is only reinforced.

Khazri is "a player with great experience, who brings a lot through his leadership. He has a great career, has played in major leagues, major teams. It's a chance to have him in the group to benefit from his experience. and his advice. He is a benevolent leader who pushes the group upwards", had again praised him on Tuesday Montassar Talbi, defender of Lorient.

Passed by Bastia, Bordeaux, Rennes and Saint-Etienne in France, and by Sunderland in England, the 31-year-old player honed his light technique, his heavy strike and his ball controls on a bare ground in Ajaccio, his hometown : the Binda, that of the Ajaccienne Sports Youth, where he played from 4 to 14 years old.

With Varane in Hopes

From the age of 4 and a half, little Wahbi went down from his residence, "A Mandarina", to Binda.

The gifted child quickly played in two categories at the same time.

"Lined up in U13 against Étoile filante Bastia on Saturday, he scored 4 goals. I had upgraded him and lined up again on Sunday against Sporting, in U14, he scored 3 goals!"

told AFP the coach of his childhood, Francis Thierry, who no longer has any news of the player.

Wahbi Khazri scores against France on November 30, 2022 in Doha © Adrian DENNIS / AFP

The striker only has good memories of Ajaccio.

"I was happy, I lacked nothing, he told AFP in 2019. We were a group of friends. Often I went to play with the older ones, they knocked on the door to find out if I could come with them."

Wahbi ends up catching the eye of Bastia, the big club on his island.

"I feel Corsican, I was born in Corsica, I have Tunisian roots through my parents, but I was born there, I have the culture there," he insisted.

"And I also feel Tunisian," he continued, declaring himself "proud" to answer the call from Tunisia, which came to pick him up in 2013, when he had played once for the French Espoirs.

It was February 28, 2012 against Italy (1-1) in a friendly.

In his team, there was Raphaël Varane, captain of the Blues on Wednesday.

© 2022 AFP