Brazil has embraced its African counterpart with an international match scheduled for November. Following their recent victory over Senegal (2-0) in London, the Seleção will face Tunisia this Tuesday evening at 20:30 in Lille. The Eagles of Carthage come into this match off two closely contested friendlies, drawing against Mauritania (1-1) and edging out Jordan (3-2). They recognize the need to elevate their performance level to challenge the team led by Carlo Ancelotti. Tunisia’s squad, featuring Hannibal Mejbri but missing Aïssa Laïdouni due to injury and a few players lacking visas, aims to prepare for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with ambition and without pressure.
“I hope we can cause some trouble for the Brazilian team at times,” said their coach, Sami Trabelsi, during a pre-match press conference. He highlighted Brazil’s significant individual talent and their overall speed, especially in attack.
Having returned to the coaching role in February after a twelve-year hiatus, Trabelsi dismissed any notion of pressure surrounding the team, especially as many players have previously played against Brazil. The two teams faced off in France on September 27, 2022, where Brazil claimed a decisive 5-1 victory, in front of a Paris crowd largely supportive of Tunisia.
“We want to push our players to maximize their qualities and capabilities to assess where we stand,” Trabelsi continued. “This is a new strategy for Tunisia: we want to grow and be counted among the greats of the African continent, aiming to advance past the preliminary rounds of the World Cup and perform well when the time comes. To achieve this, we must compete against teams of this caliber.”
On the same day, other African teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup will also be in action: Ghana is set to play South Korea, Ivory Coast will face Oman, Senegal takes on Kenya, Algeria goes against Saudi Arabia, and Morocco will compete with Uganda. The previous day, Egypt secured a win against Cape Verde (1-1, 2-0 on penalties), with Garry Rodrigues opening the scoring (6th minute, penalty) and Omar Marmoush equalizing (57th minute), before the Pharaohs triumphed in the shootout with goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier saving all attempts from the Cape Verdean side.
As the teams prepare for their matches, the anticipation grows for a showcase of African football talent and determination on the international stage.