Limping Zebras stalk Tunisia
Chakalisa Dube | Saturday June 4, 2022 06:00
The match will be played on Sunday at the Obed Itani Chilume Sports Complex. Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote is aware that a loss against the visitors will dent the Zebras’ chances of qualifying for the AFCON finals for the second time in their history. Tunisia were due to play Equatorial Guinea at home before heading to Botswana yesterday (Thursday). The Zebras impressed in their opening Group J clash in Benghazi, but they were unlucky to lose the encounter by a controversial goal.
They could have at least earned a draw in an encounter they fairly dominated. Mpote will inevitably expect his charges to carry on from where they left against Libya. The Carthage Eagles should expect an intriguing encounter against the Zebras. The Zebras have often posited good performances at Obed Itani Chilume. Zebras will count on the likes of Tumisang Orebonye, Mothusi Cooper, and Kabelo Seakanyeng who ply their trade in Morocco. The three players are familiar with the playing style of the Tunisians as it resembles that of Moroccan teams. Seakanyeng and Orebonye have also hit good form at their club Olympique Club de Khouribga something that might benefit the Zebras. On the other hand, the visitors will likely rely heavily on their 31-year-old winger Youssef Msakni. He has been the team’s star player in the last decade. Mpote might draw solace from the fact that at one point the Zebras defied the odds to defeat Tunisia.
The Zebras defeated Tunisia when they qualified for the AFCON in 2012, but it can be argued that then, the Carthage Eagles were on a rebuilding exercise while the Zebras were at their peak. Tunisia have been growing from strength to strength since 2012. They made it to the quarterfinals of the 2021 AFCON edition in Cameroon and have also qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They are also regulars at the AFCON finals tournament something that rightly gives the hosts the underdog tag. In addition, Tunisia have been solid at the back keeping four clean sheets in their last six games. This should be a worry to ‘Teenage’ because the Zebras need positive results to get their qualifying campaign back on track.
This week Tunisia midfielder Ferjani Sassi gave a hint of their preparations when addressing the media in his home country. “This period is special for us. We have players who finished their engagements with their (club) teams, but we have other players who didn't finish with championship games. So, we need a big preparation. We didn't have any rest. We work hard. We don't have a long time between the matches,” he told the Tunisian media. Meanwhile, Libya be away to Equatorial Guinea on Monday and a victory will help them further consolidate their chances of qualifying for the 2023 AFCON finals that will be held in Ivory Coast.