After the 0-2 defeat to Libya in Sfax, head coach Mouine Chaabani criticised his players’ mentality and the lack of support around the Eagles of Carthage.
At the Taïeb-Mhiri Stadium in Sfax, on Friday 13 November 2026, the Eagles of Carthage went down 0-2 to Libya, according to Tunisie Tribune. Libyan player Ali Youssef opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 44th minute, before Hamdou Elhouni, also a Libyan player, doubled the lead in the 62nd minute with a powerful strike.
With 2 points from 3 matches, Tunisia sit bottom of Group H, according to Kickoff. That position puts qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) under threat of a first absence since 1992, after 17 consecutive appearances, according to Foot Africa. In that context, head coach Mouine Chaabani spoke out.
“Nem com Guardiola aqui teriam sucesso”
Mouine Chaabani did not try to spare his squad. According to the Portuguese newspaper Record, he first gave his diagnosis: “The current problem with this team is mental. Nem com Guardiola aqui teriam sucesso”. The second sentence, left in Portuguese in the source, means that even a coach like Guardiola would not have succeeded here.
The head coach then widened his criticism to the national team’s environment. Again according to Record, he said: “There is no public to support the national team, the press does not support the national team… Nothing”.
The country is also on a run of 9 matches without a win, the last dating back to March 2026 against Haiti (1-0), according to Record.
An already painful 2026 World Cup
The slide did not start on Friday. At the 2026 World Cup, the Eagles of Carthage lost all three group matches, against the Netherlands (1-3), Japan (0-4) and Sweden (1-5), Record reports. That record gives another dimension to the head coach’s comments on the squad’s mentality.
Between that failed World Cup and the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, the national team’s season has turned into a via dolorosa. Tunisia, who have 17 consecutive AFCON appearances to their name, risk missing the 2027 edition for the first time since 1992, Foot Africa points out. A scenario that is not yet written, but which becomes clearer with every new setback.
Tripoli for a decisive return match
The calendar offers Mouine Chaabani’s men no respite. The return match against Libya is scheduled for Tuesday 17 November in Tripoli, according to Foot Africa. Four days after Sfax, Tunisia will meet a Libyan side that won the first leg 2-0 and already has the scoreline advantage.
After the setback in Sfax, the Tunisian national team have no margin left to relaunch their Group H campaign, sitting bottom with 2 points from 3 matches.