Overview
Tunisia, one of the four Arab teams competing in the first Middle Eastern World Cup, had arguably the loudest crowd during the opening round of matches when they held semi-finalist Denmark to a scoreless draw. Along with supporters from Tunisia, Tunisia have received support from Egypt and Algeria as well as those holding Palestinian flags. This support will be critical as they face Australia, which will be bidding to bounce back from their heavy defeat to France when they continue their world cup campaign.
Teams
Tunisia
If they manage to beat Australia, Tunisia would have a strong chance of qualifying for the next round for the first time in their football history. Tunisia have competed in FIFA world cups five times before FIFA 2022 and gotten eliminated every time. In fact, they loss all the matches in 1998, 2002 and 2006. This will be their golden opportunity. For their second group game, Tunisia should have their entire team fit and prepared. Wahbi Khazri, the leading goal-scorer in the team, did not play in the opening contest but is anticipated to play in this match.
Australia
France leads the group with three points, Tunisia and Denmark are next with one point each and Australia trails with none. And, it doesn’t look good for the Australian team in a group that is already quite tough on paper. The Socceroos learnt a lot from their performance even if they lost to the defending champions France in the first game. It would be intriguing to watch whether manager Graham Arnold chooses to go with the same starting lineup.
Head-to-Head
Tunisia and Australia faced each other twice before. Tunisia lost the first match, an International friendly in 1997, 0-3. The other game took place in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2005, when Tunisia earned a 2-0 victory.
Key Players
Tunisia will depend a lot on midfielder Ellyes Skhiri but surprise many with their hidden talent bank. Mathew Leckie, usually a winger, will be a key player for Australia.
Date, Time & Venue
The Tunisia vs Australia match will be played on November 26 at 3:30 PM (Indian time) in the Al Janoub Stadium, Al-Wakrah.
Live-streaming details
The Tunisia vs Australia match will be broadcast live on the Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India and Jio Cinema's app and website will both offer free live streaming of the event.
Prediction
The outcome of Tunisia's match against Australia will have a significant impact on whether or not they advance to the knockout phase because France will be their last and most difficult opponent in the group. With a 1-0 victory, the North African squad will likely advance to the next round.
