Tunisia will compete in an eighth successive MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament in Ghana in January, introducing a new generation of players just four years after they won the continental title on home soil in 2004.

Veteran French coach Roger Lemerre has seen many of his key players from the 2004 winning side move on from their international careers and has slowly brought in a new group to defend the north African country’s colours.

Tunisia have made it past the first round of the MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals in five of the last six tournaments, evidence of the fact few will take them lightly again.

They have been to three successive World Cup finals as well, a consistent record no other African country can boast of.

But they had to use the back door to qualify for the 2008 finals, finishing as runners-up to Sudan in their group and taking one of the three berths reserved for the best runners-up.

Tunisia did, however, finish wiuth just one defeat in their six games, their last game in Sudan after their qualification was already assured.

For Lemerre, it will be a third MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament. He was the coach of France when they won the 2000 European Championships.

Lemerre can still call on 2004 MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals winners like Brazilian-born Francileudo dos Santos, Karim Hagui, Joahar Mnari and Mehdi Nafti.