Chaabani Revamps Tunisia Squad for Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers
Moine Chaabani has wasted no time putting his stamp on Tunisia. For the opening two rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the Eagles of Carthage head coach has gone for a squad that looks very different from the one that went to the 2026 World Cup – and he has done it with a few big, symbolic recalls.
Tunisia face Uganda on 24 September and Botswana on 28 September. Those games will open a new cycle. The squad list makes that clear.
Sassi and Maaloul Back at the Heart of It
The headline is the return of Ferjani Sassi and Ali Maaloul. Both missed the World Cup, both now walk back into a dressing room that badly needed their experience.
Sassi’s case is striking. He captained Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations and at the Arab Cup, then watched the World Cup from afar. Now Chaabani has turned back to him, trusting a midfielder who remains a reference point for the national side and who, crucially, is one of three players currently active in the Qatari league to be recalled.
The others are Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni. They also return, restoring a familiar spine in midfield that Tunisia leaned on in previous campaigns.
On the left flank, Maaloul’s comeback closes another curious chapter. The full-back, long a mainstay, did not make the World Cup squad. Now he is back to compete for his old spot and to steady a defence that has been reshuffled almost from top to bottom.
Ali Abdi Left Out as Controversy Lingers
One defender who does not return is Ali Abdi. The Nice player misses out despite having apologised for comments that caused a storm in Tunisia, when he publicly stated he was ready to skip the World Cup to help his club in the relegation play-offs.
His absence underlines the scale of Chaabani’s reset. This is not a gentle evolution. It is a clear break.
World Cup Core Cut Down
Only 14 players from the recent World Cup have survived into this new squad. The list of absentees is long and, in some cases, definitive.
Hannibal Mejbri misses out through injury. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have both retired from international duty, removing two seasoned options from central midfield.
Others have simply been dropped: Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad all fall out of the picture for now. For a team that had begun to feel settled, the shake-up is unmistakable.
The pressure on the new faces will be immediate. Uganda and Botswana might not be the continent’s heavyweights, but qualifying campaigns can quickly turn edgy if early points are dropped.
New Blood: Guidida and Chouchane Step In
Amid the returns and exits, Chaabani has also opened the door to fresh talent.
Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida receives his first senior call-up, a reward for his domestic form and a sign that the coach wants more cutting edge in the final third.
Dijon midfielder Sami Chouchane also earns a maiden invitation. His inclusion adds another technical profile to a midfield that now blends veterans like Sassi with younger, more versatile options.
The Squad in Full
- 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 names are back, but the message is unmistakable: the World Cup cycle is over. Chaabani has chosen his group for the road to 2027. Now the qualifiers will reveal whether this bold reset can carry Tunisia where it expects to be – at the heart of Africa’s elite.
