Not Africa’s Italy: Tunisia's Reality Check After AFCON Showdown

The 'Italy of Africa' Myth Debunked

In the wake of Tunisia's 3-2 defeat to Nigeria, veteran Tunisian football commentator Essam Al-Shawali delivered a scathing assessment of the Carthage Eagles, speaking up after their second group-stage outing in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco 2025.

He shared on social media that lifting the Africa Cup seems unlikely, citing Tunisia’s historical struggle to win three consecutive matches in the tournament.

Al-Shawali also highlighted the pattern of challenging campaigns under Tunisian coaches, noting that the only title to date came with French manager Roger Lemerre, a reminder that coaching lineage matters in AFCON’s rough-and-tumble arena.

He pushed back on the notion that Tunisia is “Italy of Africa,” arguing that Italy has four World Cup titles while Tunisia has not built a sustained project for continental glory. The federation’s recurring aim, he suggested, tends to stop at the semifinal stage rather than pushing for a real, long-term conquest.

According to him, AFCON demands a distinct mental and tactical mindset, and history shows Egypt’s ability to navigate the tournament’s peculiar dynamics. He implied Tunisia could learn from such examples rather than clinging to myths.

Reflecting on the loss to Nigeria, Al-Shawali claimed the team was outmuscled and outmanaged, placing some responsibility on the coach Sami Trabelsi, while noting that several players appeared mentally absent, selections were questionable, and defensive gaps were exposed by opponents who were not as formidable in the World Cup qualifiers.

He closed by saying that while hopes of lifting AFCON may be distant given resources, the minimum expectation is to play a respectable, entertaining brand of football that demonstrates progress for the national side.

Humor break: If being “Italy of Africa” were a real club, Tunisia’s calendar would be booked with semi-finals and coffee breaks. Punchline 1: If strategy were as sharp as the coach’s whistle, Tunisia would be world champions of procrastination. Punchline 2: Egypt might know how to win a championship, but at least Tunisia knows how to make a good post-match playlist.”