A member of the winning AFCON team in 2004, Karim Haggui remains very attached to his national team. The former defender hopes to finally see Tunisia return to the top of African football at the next TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021.
"Tunisia remains a great football nation. Clubs are still present in African competitions. There may be less success but in terms of national team, we have a very good team. We are well placed in the FIFA rankings and we are also in a good position to go to the next World Cup," the coach-to-be told CAFOnline.com.
In Cameroon, Tunisia is housed in a group with Mali, Mauritania and The Gambia. "We have a young group with a few experienced players. The group has been able to renew itself well. We don't have a star who can win games, but a team that gets along well. So Tunisia can win against any team. In 2019, we failed in the semi-finals. Now we want to glean this second African trophy and that's why we are going to Cameroon," added Haggui, who has also been working as a media consultant for some time.
To reach their goal of coronation on February 6, Tunisia will rely on the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup where the Eagles finished in second place, beaten by Algeria in the final (1-2). "It was a great preparation for everyone. And I think we behaved well. I imagine the staff saw the potential and the players they can go to fight with at AFCON, "Haggui said.
The former Etoile du Sahel player also expects a great atmosphere in Yaoundé, Douala, Bafousssam, Garoua and Limbe. "The AFCON is always something festive. And Cameroon, a great football country, should be no exception to the rule," he concluded.
Artmotion S.Africa
