Late Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane goal seals Tunisia’s berth at 2026 World Cup
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Tunisia have now qualified for the World Cup seven times.
PHOTO: EPA
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JOHANNESBURG – It was the “toughest match of the qualifiers” but Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane scored in added time to give Tunisia a 1-0 win in Equatorial Guinea on Sept 8 to seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Victory for Tunisia gave them an unassailable lead in Group H, and they became the second African nation to secure a place at the tournament after 2022 semi-finalists Morocco.
Tunisia have 22 points from eight games, 10 more than second-placed Namibia, who have one match in hand but cannot match the total of the Eagles of Carthage.
Substitute Ben Romdhane, a midfielder with Egyptian and African giants Al Ahly, struck in the 94th minute after being set up by Firas Chaouat.
“When Firas Chaouat received the ball in the final moments, I knew he was going to get the better of the Equatorial Guinean player,” he told Tunisian TV.
“So I moved forward and put myself in a good position to score,” added the 26-year-old, who joined Al Ahly in June from Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros.
Fellow midfielder Ferjani Sassi added: “It was the toughest match of the qualifiers, and we expected it given the conditions, the pitch, and the humidity.
“We knew how to adapt to the circumstances. They had many chances, but we were ready. We believed in ourselves until the very end.”
Tunisia started the match in Malabo with players based in nine countries, including Hannibal Mejbri from English Premier League side Burnley.
The Eagles are coached by former centre-back Sami Trabelsi, who captained Tunisia at the 1998 World Cup in France.
Tunisia have now qualified for the World Cup seven times, and will hope to improve on a record of only three victories in 18 matches and never progressing beyond the group stage.
North Africa are likely to have four representatives at the 2026 World Cup with record seven-time African champions Egypt and Algeria set to join Morocco and Tunisia.
Egypt will qualify if they win a top-of-the-table Group A clash in Burkina Faso on Sept 9 (Sept 10, Singapore time), but Group G leaders Algeria will need to wait till the October qualifiers after a 0-0 draw against Guinea.
Morocco, meanwhile, demonstrated strength in depth by resting several stars, including Paris Saint-German fullback Achraf Hakimi, in a 2-0 Group E win over Zambia in Ndola.
A capacity 50,000 crowd saw Youssef En-Nesyri score early in the first half and Hamza Igamane even earlier in the second half.
Morocco, who eliminated Spain and Portugal en route to the 2022 semi-finals, boast the only 100 per cent record in African qualifying, winning all seven matches.
Group I leaders Ghana moved closer to a fifth World Cup appearance in six editions by edging out Mali 1-0.
Ghana have 19 points, three more than second-placed Madagascar. Top seeds Mali can no longer win the group and their sole hope of qualification lies in being among the best four second-placed teams.
Africa is guaranteed nine places at the 48-nation World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the number of qualifiers could rise to 10 after intercontinental play-offs next March. AFP
