Chaabani Reshapes Tunisia Squad for AFCON 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 ripped up the World Cup blueprint and gone with a bolder, reshaped squad – one that brings back big names and leaves several World Cup faces on the outside.
Tunisia face Uganda on 24 September and Botswana on 28 September. Those fixtures will be the first real look at Chaabani’s vision. The message from his squad list is clear: reputations alone are no longer enough.
Sassi restored, Qatari-based core returns
The headline news is the return of Ferjani Sassi. Once the heartbeat of this side and even captain during the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup, he was left out of the 2026 World Cup. Now he is back in the fold, recalled despite that high-profile absence, and once again positioned to influence Tunisia’s midfield identity.
He is not alone. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni are also recalled, meaning three players currently active in the Qatari league rejoin the national team setup. That trio instantly boosts Tunisia’s experience and technical quality in the centre of the pitch, an area that looked lighter at the World Cup.
Maaloul back, Abdi out
On the left flank, another familiar figure returns. Ali Maaloul, who missed the World Cup, is back in the national team picture and gives Chaabani a seasoned option at left-back, both defensively and from set pieces.
His comeback comes at the expense of Ali Abdi. The Nice defender does not make the cut, despite apologising for the remarks that caused a storm in Tunisia when he said he was ready to skip the World Cup to help his club fight relegation in the play-offs. Even with that public step back, his name is absent from this list. The consequence of those comments now feels very real.
World Cup squad dismantled
Look at the World Cup group and the scale of the shake-up becomes obvious. Only 14 players from that recent tournament survive into this new squad. The rest is churn.
Some absences are enforced. Hannibal Mejbri is out injured. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have both drawn a line under their international careers and retired from duty with Tunisia.
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 squad. For a group that only months ago represented Tunisia on the game’s biggest stage, the turnover is brutal.
Chaabani, though, is clearly intent on building something different rather than gently tweaking what came before.
New blood and fresh battles for places
Into that space step new names. Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida earns his first call-up, a reward for his domestic form and a sign that local league performances will be closely watched. Sami Chouchane of Dijon also receives a maiden invitation, adding another option in midfield.
Those two debutants will walk into a dressing room that still features plenty of familiar figures, but the hierarchy is no longer fixed. Every line of the team looks open to competition.
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 faces are back, but the spine of the World Cup side has been broken up. Tunisia now step into AFCON qualifying with a squad that looks both refreshed and ruthless. The question is simple: will this reset ignite a new cycle, or expose just how hard it is to start again at the top level?
