Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi has admitted his side failed to fully meet expectations during the Africa Cup of Nations group stage, stressing the need for a mental reset as the Carthage Eagles prepare to face Mali in the round of 16 on Saturday.
The 2004 African champions began their campaign brightly with a convincing 3–1 victory over Uganda but were unable to maintain that momentum. A 1–1 draw against Tanzania followed before a narrow 3–2 defeat to Nigeria, results that were still enough to secure qualification for the knockout phase.
Despite progressing, Trabelsi acknowledged that performances have been inconsistent and must improve as the tournament enters its decisive stage.
“We are not satisfied with the overall performance and results of the Tunisian team in the tournament,” Trabelsi said at a press conference on Friday. “God willing, we will show our true face against Mali and achieve success.
“I hope the result goes our way as a new phase of the competition begins. The mental aspect is very important, and we’ve freed ourselves from pressure,” he added.
The Tunisia coach expects a tight and tactical contest against Mali, emphasising the importance of efficiency in front of goal.
“Mali is a big team with players of high technical and physical quality,” Trabelsi noted. “The match will be decided by small details and mistakes, and there won’t be many chances. The most important thing is to take advantage of them. We’ll try to deliver a more consistent performance.”
Trabelsi also addressed the frustration among supporters, insisting progress remains the priority.
“I understand why people aren’t happy with our performance, but we weren’t that bad. We qualified for the round of 16, and gradually the performance will improve,” he said. “Sometimes you play great matches and still exit the tournament. The most important thing is progressing, and we hope to succeed in both performance and qualification.”
Defender Yan Valery echoed his coach’s sentiments, describing the knockout stage as a fresh start for the team.
“We’re ready to deliver a good match against Mali. This is a new tournament starting now,” Valery said. “We’ll learn from our mistakes in the group stage, and they will serve as a lesson for the Mali game.
“We enjoy the support of Moroccan and Tunisian fans. We feel the same pressure we face at club level and deal with it the same way, as we’ve done throughout our careers.”
Tunisia will now look to combine resilience, focus and consistency as they seek a place in the quarter-finals.
