Tunisia's AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Chaabani's Bold Reset
Moine Chaabani has wasted no time putting his stamp on Tunisia. For the opening rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the new head coach has torn up the World Cup blueprint and drawn something far bolder.
Uganda on 24 September, Botswana on 28 September. Two fixtures, one clear message: this is a new cycle, and nobody’s place is guaranteed.
Sassi and Maaloul Back at the Heart of It
The headline is unmistakable. Ferjani Sassi is back.
Once the heartbeat of the Eagles of Carthage, the midfielder was a glaring absentee from the 2026 World Cup, despite having captained Tunisia at both the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup. Now, with Chaabani in charge, he returns to the fold, a powerful signal that experience and leadership are back in fashion.
He is not alone. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni also reclaim their spots, restoring a familiar spine to the midfield. All three ply their trade in the Qatari league, and all three now find themselves central to Tunisia’s early AFCON qualifying plans.
On the left, another old pillar stands again. Ali Maaloul, omitted from the World Cup squad, has been recalled. His return underlines just how far Chaabani is prepared to go to recalibrate a side that underwhelmed on the biggest stage.
The flip side of that is just as stark. Ali Abdi, the Nice defender, is out. His recent comments about being ready to skip the World Cup to help his club in the relegation play-offs caused a storm back home. He later apologised, but the damage, at least for now, looks done. His name is nowhere on this list.
World Cup Core Cut Down to Size
Look at the squad sheet and the scale of the overhaul jumps out. Only 14 players from the recent World Cup have survived the cull.
Some absences were inevitable. Hannibal Mejbri misses out through injury. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have stepped away from international duty altogether, closing the book on two important chapters in Tunisia’s modern midfield history.
Others have simply been moved aside. Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad all drop out as Chaabani redraws the depth chart across the pitch.
This isn’t tinkering. It’s a reset.
New Blood, New Direction
Amid the returning names, there is fresh energy too.
Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida receives his first senior call-up, a reward for his domestic form and a nod to the local league’s importance in this rebuild. Joining him is Sami Chouchane of Dijon, another debutant who adds youth and technical polish to the midfield options.
They are not being eased in. They are being thrown into the heat of competitive qualifiers, a clear sign that Chaabani is planning beyond just the next international window.
How Tunisia Will Line Up
The squad, as announced by the Tunisian Football Federation, looks like this:
- Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmen, Sabri Ben Hassen, Mouhib Chamekh.
- Defence: Yann Valery, Moatez Neffati, Adam Arous, Mohamed Nasraoui, Montassar Talbi, Alaa Ghram, Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida, Amine Charni, Ali Maaloul.
- Midfield: Ferjani Sassi, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Aissa Laidouni, Hamza Rafia, Sami Chouchane, Ismail Gharbi, Anis Ben Slimane.
- Attack: Khalil Ayari, Seifallah Ltaief, Elyes Achouri, Rayan Layouni, Sebastien Tounekti, Hamza Mastouri, Sadok Guidida.
Familiar pillars. Bold omissions. Two fresh faces. For Tunisia, these qualifiers are more than a path to AFCON 2027. They are an early verdict on Chaabani’s courage to reshape a national team that had grown too comfortable with its own reflection.
