World Cup: “A historic match to be played” … Tunisia believes in a surprise against France

The crowd is on fire, a double feat on the key… Tunisia, last in Group D, will play a very big game this Wednesday at the Education City stadium in Doha (16:00) against the French team. A busy Tuesday at the press conference as under criticism coach Jalel Qadri is expecting a tough match. He must definitely win to reach the round of 16 and then hope for a draw between Denmark and Australia or a narrower victory for the Danes.

How do you prepare for this decisive match for you?

Jalel Qadri. We expect a very difficult game. Tomorrow we face the defending champions. A difficult match, even if, as I said, I have 26 players in the squad, and everyone has the skills for such a match. We had a very good result against Denmark (0-0). We were not very lucky with Australia (0:1) at the refereeing level. It was part of football, we are responsible for the choice on the field. Today the message is: nothing is impossible. We are here 100% to get a good result.

You are subject to a lot of criticism in your country.

We are focused on the match, not on the rest.

Will you stay put if you are not qualified?

We are responsible for the match and I hope to get an answer to this question at the end of the match.

Your team continues to enjoy great support from the Tunisian public here in Doha. How important is it?

The most important thing is to feel proud. I am proud of my fans, no matter what anyone says about them. They put positive pressure on our shoulders and we want to make them happy. This is our message. I believe in my players. Therefore, we will make every effort to achieve a good result. We hope that we will be lucky and we will reach the final phase.

There is a special history between the two countries. What makes this game different?

Yes, we have a strong history between France and Tunisia. We respect all teams, including the French team. Many were born and live in France, but this does not affect the competitiveness of my team. It doesn’t matter where they were born.

Tunisia has never beaten France and has never reached the final. Does it put a lot of pressure on you?

France is a footballing nation that we respect but rarely meet. Tomorrow we have to play a historic match, and we hope to end it with a victory.