Tunisia football federation announces new national team head coach

Trabelsi during his time with Qatari club Al Sailiya. Photo Credit: Al Sailiya

The Tunisian Football Federation has officially appointed Sami Trabelsi as the new head coach of the Tunisian national team following a meeting held on Monday.

Trabelsi's appointment comes after Kais Yaakoubi served as the interim head coach, following Faouzi Benzarti's departure.

Under Yaakoubi's guidance, Tunisia secured their qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Madagascar in the fifth round of qualifying.

This marks Trabelsi's return to be the head coach of Tunisia national team after 12 years, bringing plenty of experience to the "Carthage Eagles."

A return after 12 Years

Sami Trabelsi previously served as Tunisia’s head coach from March 10, 2011, to February 6, 2013, during which he led the national team to victory in the 2011 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Following his tenure with Tunisia, Trabelsi had on a long coaching journey in Qatar, managing Al-Sailiya SC for nearly 10 years from June 6, 2013, to March 20, 2023.

During this time, he guided the team to back-to-back Qatar Stars Cup titles in 2021 and 2022 as well as the Qatar FA Cup in 2021.

New technical staff for Tunisia

Alongside Trabelsi's appointment, Hamadi Daou has been confirmed as the national team assistant coach, while discussions with Mohamed Sahli will take place after his return to Tunisia on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, regarding his potential role in the coaching staff.

Trabelsi has assembled a technical team, which includes:

Aymen Jedidi & Wassim Maala – Physical preparation and development.

Hichem Jaziri – Goalkeeping coach.

Helmi El-Kachou & Walid Bentmansour – Tactical analysts.

Official Press Conference

The full technical staff lineup will be officially unveiled during a press conference hosted by Sami Trabelsi alongside sporting director Ziad Jaziri on Friday, February 14, 2025, at the National Technical Department’s press room, starting at 11:00 AM.

Tunisia’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Crucial matches in March

As part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Tunisia is will have two matches in March 2025. The team will face Liberia away from home on March 17h, followed by a home fixture against Malawi on March 24th in Matchdays 5 and 6 of the qualifiers.

Group Standings

Tunisia currently sits atop the group with 10 points after four matches, ahead of their rivals:

Namibia – 2nd place with 8 points.

Liberia – 3rd place with 7 points.

Malawi – 4th place with 6 points.

Equatorial Guinea – 5th place with 3 points.

São Tomé and Príncipe – 6th place with no points.

Tunisia qualifies for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Tunisia has officially secured qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The team has been drawn into group C alongside Uganda, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

Sami Trabelsi: A former captain of Tunisia

Sami Trabelsi is a former player of the Tunisian national team, having represented his country in 77 international matches. His appearances included:

32 friendly matches

13 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) matches

3 FIFA World Cup 1998 matches

7 World Cup qualifying matches

2 AFCON qualifying matches

Trabelsi played in Tunisia’s journey to the final of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, where the team finished runners-up after losing 2-0 to South Africa.

Additionally, he was part of the Tunisian national team which secured fourth place in the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, after losing the third-place playoff against South Africa.