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Profile on Tunisia Team for 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Wahbi Khazri. (AFP)
Wahbi Khazri. (AFP)
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Profile on Tunisia Team for 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Wahbi Khazri. (AFP)
Wahbi Khazri. (AFP)

Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Tunisia.

Africa Cup of Nations record

Previous appearances in finals: (19) 1962, 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019

Best performance: Winners 2004

Drawn in Group F with Gambia, Mali and Mauritania.

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Coach: Mondher Kebaier

The former defender was a break from the long list of foreign coaches Tunisia have appointed when he was named to the post in August 2019.

He had previously worked at the country's top three clubs -- Club Africain, Esperance and Etoile Sahel.

Despite Tunisia reaching the Arab Cup final last month, there was speculation the 51-year-old was set to be fired, prompting the country's football federation to issue a statement denying the talk.

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Key player: Wahbi Khazri. Age: 30. Striker.

Khazri, who was born in Corsica and played for France at Under-21 level but whose parents hail from Tunisia, will be competing at his fifth finals.

It will be a welcome break from the struggles of St Etienne, where he is their top scorer this season. Despite his efforts they sit bottom of Ligue 1.

Khazri began his career at Bastia then moved to Girondins Bordeaux before enduring an unsuccessful stint at Sunderland. He returned to French football with Rennes.

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FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 30

How they qualified: Top place team in Group J, ahead of Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania and Libya.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Farouk Ben Mustapha (Esperance), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir), Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien), Ali Jemal (Etoile Sahel)

Defenders: Ali Abdi (Caen), Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance), Dylan Bronn (Metz), Mohamed Drager (Nottingham Forest), Oussama Haddadi (Yeni Malayaspor), Bilel Ifa (Club Africain), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly), Hamza Mathlouthi (Zamalek), Omar Rekik (Arsenal), Montassar Talbi (Rubin Kazan)

Midfielders: Fires Ben Larbi (Ajman Club), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Esperance), Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby), Ghailene Chaalali (Esperance), Saif-Eddine Khaoui (Clermont), Aissa Laidouni (Ferencvaros), Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United), Hamza Rafia (Standard Liege), Elyas Skhiri (FC Cologne)

Forwards: Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek), Wahbi Khazri (St Etienne), Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi), Naim Sliti (Al Ittifaq), Yoann Touzghar (Troyes). (Compiled by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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"I knew that Ben was a very difficult player, a great player, so I had to take more risks at some times of the match," said Tirante, who fended off a break point early in the third set and broke Shelton for a 5-4 lead before serving it out with a comfortable hold.

"I did sometimes good, I did sometimes bad, but that's the key. (I had to stay) mentally strong all the time and try to break the serve -- he serves amazing."

Burruchaga, ranked 77th, upset third-seeded American Learner Tien, ranked 22nd in the world, 7-5, 6-4 to reach his first career semi-final.

The son of former soccer player Jorge Burruchaga, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, the 24-year-old had already knocked out another member of the world top 40 on Thursday, 33rd-ranked local favorite Brandon Nakashima.

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Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso left his role by mutual consent on Friday, three days after the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

The Italian football federation announced the news in a statement thanking Gattuso "for the dedication and passion" during his nine months in charge.

Italy’s chances of reaching this year’s tournament in North America ended on Tuesday after a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff.

"With pain in my heart, not having achieved the goal we had set ourselves, I consider my experience on the national team bench to be over," Gattuso said.

Gattuso’s departure comes a day after Italy’s football federation president Gabriele Gravina resigned along with Gianluigi Buffon, who was the national team’s delegation chief.

The defeat to Bosnia added more misery for four-time champion Italy after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively, in the qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups.

Gattuso took over from the fired Luciano Spalletti in June with the squad already in crisis mode following a defeat at Norway in its opening qualifier.

Spalletti had also overseen a disappointing European Championship campaign in 2024, when titleholder Italy was knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland.

"I would like to thank Gattuso once again," Gravina said. "Because, in addition to being a special person, as a coach he has offered a valuable contribution, managing to bring enthusiasm back to the national team in just a few months.

"He has conveyed great pride in the national team jersey to the players and to the whole country."

Under Gattuso, Italy went on a six-match winning streak before another loss to Norway in November to finish second in their group and end up in the playoffs again.

Gattuso had been given a contract until the end of this summer’s World Cup, with an automatic renewal until 2028 if Italy returned to football’s biggest stage.

"The Azzurri shirt is the most precious asset that exists in soccer, which is why it is right to immediately facilitate future coaching staff decisions," Gattuso said.

"It was an honor to be able to lead the national team and do so also with a group of boys who have shown commitment and attachment to the shirt. The biggest thanks go to the fans, to all the Italians who have never failed to show their love and support for the national team in recent months."

Among those being mentioned to replace Gattuso are Roberto Mancini, Simone Inzaghi, Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri.

Mancini coached Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 then failed to get the Azzurri to the next year’s World Cup before bolting to take over Saudi Arabia’s national team. He left that role in October 2024 and is currently coach at Al-Sadd in Qatar.

Inzaghi steered Inter Milan to the Serie A title in 2024 and now manages Saudi club Al-Hilal.

Conte coached Italy at the 2016 European Championship and is currently at Napoli.

Allegri is coach at AC Milan.

Italy will play two friendly matches in June but is unlikely to have a new coach by then, given that the election for a new FIGC president won't take place until June 22.