WORLD CUP 2006
Tunisia Interview Player - Adel Chedli
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You scored the goal that ensured qualification [the equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Morocco in Rades]. Will you ever score a more important one?
Not unless I get one in Germany. Yes, it was a vital goal and I’m very proud to have made every football fan in the country happy. I’ve often been told I don’t score enough, so that was the perfect answer. That final tie against Morocco was a very tense affair and twice we went a goal behind. But we showed our character by fighting back each time. That’s one of our strengths.
We don’t easily admit defeat.
You were born in France like several of your team-mates. Is there ever any conflict between you and those who hail from Tunisia?
Not in the slightest. We all have the same objectives, play for the same flag, come from the same culture. We all get on splendidly. If there was disharmony you would quickly notice it in the performances.
Tunisia have not got beyond the group stage in three attempts. Why should this time be any different?
Apart from our great desire to do well, I’d point to the experience accumulated by many of our players in Europe. Trabelsi has been with Ajax for years, Jaidi has impressed in England with Bolton, Santos has scored goals for a long time in France, Namouchi has done well for Rangers, so has Hagui at Strasbourg. Before the 2004 African Nations Cup we had a handful earning a living abroad. Now there’s 20 or more. That says a lot about the status of Tunisian players. We have become respected.
Who do you fear most of your group opponents?
I respect them all. Spain and Ukraine have the big names and theoretically are the strongest. But we will have no pressure on us and we are quite capable of a surprise. The difficult game is with the Saudis. It’s our first, and we have to win to set us up in the best possible way.
Roger Lemerre said at the time that you lost “with elegance” against Argentina, 2-1, and Germany, 3-0, at last year’s Confederations Cup. Do you agree?
We had good periods in both matches. Against the Argentinians, we came back strongly after going 2-0 down; and we kept Germany out until the last 15 minutes. We also beat Australia 2-0. We are not too far away from the top sides in the world. We lack just a few little things.
Who will be your stars at the World Cup?
As our coach says, the team is the star. But if I had to single out anybody it would be Jaidi and Hagui at the back, and Santos, who is just a born finisher.
Tunisia Squad
1 GK BOUMNIJEL Ali - (Club Africain, TUN)
2 FW ESSEDIRI Karim - (Rosenborg, NOR)
3 DF HAGGUI Karim - (Strasbourg, FRA)
4 DF YAHIA Alaeddine - (Saint-Etienne, FRA)
5 FW JAZIRI Zied - (Troyes, FRA)
6 DF TRABELSI Hatem - (Ajax, NED)
7 DF MERIAH Mehdi - (ES du Sahel, TUN)
8 MF NAFTI Mehdi - (Birmingham City, ENG)
9 FW CHIKHAOUI Yassine - (ES du Sahel, TUN)
10 MF GHODHBANE Kaies - (Konyaspor, TUR)
11 FW SANTOS - (Toulouse, FRA)
12 MF MNARI Jaouhar - (Nuremberg, GER)
13 MF BOUAZIZI Riadh - (Erciyesspor, TUR)
14 MF CHEDLI Adel - (Nuremberg, GER)
15 DF JAIDI Radhi - (Bolton Wanderers, ENG)
16 GK NEFZI Adel - (US Monastir, TUN)
17 FW JOMAA Issam - (Lens, FRA)
18 DF JEMMALI David - (Bordeaux, FRA)
19 DF AYARI Anis - (Samsunspor, TUR)
20 MF NAMOUCHI Hamed - (Rangers, SCO)
21 DF SAIDI Karim - (Lecce, ITA
22 GK KASRAOUI Hamdi - (Esperance, TUN)
23 MF MELLITI Sofiane - (Gaziantepspor, TUR)
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