Tunisia Coach Confident Squad Can Compete at World Cup

Tunisian national team coach Sabri Lamouchi asserted that his squad possesses the necessary quality to challenge their Group F opponents, including Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands, at the 2026 World Cup. "The pressure is very high, but our goal is to qualify," Lamouchi stated, emphasizing the difficulty of their opening match against Sweden, a game for which they have prepared extensively.

Lamouchi acknowledged that a recent 5-0 friendly defeat to Belgium had raised doubts but expressed pride in coaching Tunisia. He highlighted that the team has undergone significant changes and is younger, impacting recent performances. "I try to do my best and I trust my boys. I am responsible for the risks I take," he said, aiming to instill belief in his players that they can achieve their qualification goals.

Despite acknowledging Sweden as a high-level opponent, Lamouchi stressed that Tunisia is prepared and focused on competing effectively. "We are starting a world competition against one of the highest-level teams in the world. Yes, there are differences in performance, but we are prepared," he noted, indicating that the team has made substantial progress in a short period.

Defender Ali Abdi echoed the coach's sentiments, urging the team to move past the Belgium loss and focus on their improvements. "We learned a lot from that game. It meant a lot, and as the coach says, we must concentrate on the positive aspects," Abdi said. He added that Tunisia, as the top-ranked team from Africa, is structurally sound and aims to deliver a performance that makes their nation proud.