MTNFootball

Tunisia have been regular visitors to the Africa Cup of nations finals, but have only ever managed one tournament success when they lifted the trophy on home soil in 2004.

They have been to every finals since 1994, the only African nation to have managed that feat, but will perhaps have expected to have had greater success in that time given the quality of the teams they have consistently produced.

The Class of 2012 does not quite have the same authority about it and they scraped into the finals on the away goals rule after their opponents Sierra Leone had two goals chalked off in the final qualifier in Blida.

There was much luck in getting the side to South Africa, but they will hope that now that they are here they can rekindle the memories of the last time they visited the country in 1996, when they finished runners-up to the hosts in the Nations Cup final.

Tunisia had come to the tournament with a side packed with Under-23 players for that event as they prepared for the Atlanta Olympic Games later that year, but ended up reaching the final, only to lose 2-0 at Soccer City.

Coach Sami Trabelsi is a much-loved figure in the country and was the long-standing fullback of the national side, playing at three Nations Cup finals between 1996 and 2000, as well as the 1998 World Cup.

Tournament Review:

Tunisia did not do a lot wrong in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. They had a bad second game against Cote d’Ivoire, but otherwise looked a good side that could perhaps have gone far in the competition.

Coach Sami Trabelsi will be lifted by the showing of his players, who were resolute for the most part in the 1-0 opening game win over Algeria.

That match looked as though it was heading for a draw before Youssef Msakni popped up late to score a cracking winner.

The came up against a determined Ivorian side in the second match and were second-best all the way, humbled by Africa’s top team.

It still meant they had a chance to progress with a win over Togo in their decider, but suffered heart-ache after Khaled Mouelhi missed a late penalty for the team that would have sent them into the quarterfinals.

But Trabelsi will feel there is plenty to build on for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the next Nations Cup tournament and will not be too disheartened with his side.