Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane has scored in added time to give Tunisia a 1-0 win in Equatorial Guinea and qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.
The away victory on Monday night gave Tunisia an unassailable lead in Group H, and they became the second African nation to secure a place at the tournament after 2022 semifinalists Morocco.
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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 Carthage Eagles.
Substitute Ben Romdhane, a midfielder with Egyptian and African giants Al Ahly, struck in the 94th minute after being set up by Firas Chaouat.
He also scored the only goal, from a penalty, when Tunisia beat Equatorial Guinea in matchday three last year.
“When Firas Chaouat received the ball in the final moments, I knew he was going to get the better of the Equatorial Guinean player,” Ben Romdhane 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 this year from the Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros.
“It was the toughest match of the qualifiers, and we expected it given the conditions, the pitch and the humidity,” fellow midfielder Ferjani Sassi said.
“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 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 seven times for the World Cup and will hope to improve on a record of only three victories in 18 matches and never progressing beyond the first round.
Source: Aljazeera
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