Tunisia Changes Under Chaabani: Sassi and Maaloul Return
Moine Chaabani has wasted no time putting his stamp on Tunisia. For the first two rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the Eagles of Carthage will look and feel very different from the side that went to the 2026 World Cup.
Uganda in Rades on 24 September, Botswana four days later. New cycle, new hierarchy.
And some very familiar names back in the middle of it.
Sassi restored, Maaloul back on the flank
The headline is clear: Ferjani Sassi is back.
Once the heartbeat of this team and a former captain at both the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup, Sassi watched the World Cup from afar. Chaabani has decided that exile is over, recalling the midfielder despite his absence from the 2026 showpiece. Experience, leadership, and a point to prove – all in one recall.
He is not alone. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni also return, meaning three players active in the Qatari league are suddenly central again to Tunisia’s plans. The spine that once drove Tunisia through continental and regional tournaments has been rebuilt in a single squad list.
On the left, another strong statement. Ali Maaloul, left out of the World Cup squad, is back in the national team picture. The veteran full-back brings his delivery, his engine, and his status back into a dressing room that has lost several senior figures in recent months.
Big names out, a World Cup core thinned
For every comeback, there is a casualty.
Compared with the World Cup squad, Hannibal Mejbri is missing through injury, depriving Tunisia of one of their most energetic and inventive young midfielders. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have both closed the international chapter of their careers, retiring from duty and leaving a sizeable gap in terms of work-rate and experience in the middle of the pitch.
The clear-out runs deeper. Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad all drop out. What was once a settled group has been deliberately broken up.
Only 14 players from the World Cup make this new list. For a team that often leaned on continuity, that is a radical cut.
One notable absence stands out on the defensive flank. Ali Abdi, the Nice defender, is not included despite having apologised for the remarks that caused uproar in Tunisia, when he publicly said he was ready to skip the World Cup to help his club fight relegation in the play-offs. The apology has not been enough to restore his place. Not yet.
New blood and a new balance
The door closing on one generation has opened it for another.
Chaabani has handed maiden call-ups to Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida and Dijon midfielder Sami Chouchane. A local forward from one of the country’s great institutions and a young talent from France’s system: the blend is deliberate, the message obvious. Perform, and the national team is within reach.
Around them, the squad shows the outline of what Chaabani wants: technical midfielders, flexible wide players, and defenders who can cope with both duels and build-up.
The full squad:
- 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 faces have returned. New ones have been thrown in. The World Cup squad, once the reference point, is now just a memory.
The qualifiers against Uganda and Botswana will show whether this bold reshaping is the start of a new era for Tunisia – or the first test of a coach willing to tear up the old script.
