Nickname(s) |
Les Aigles de Carthage (Eagles of Carthage) |
---|---|
Association | Tunisian Football Federation |
Confederation | CAF (Africa) |
Sub-confederation | UNAF (North Africa) |
Head coach | Henryk Kasperczak |
Captain | Yassine Chikhaoui |
Most caps | Radhi Jaïdi (105) |
Top scorer | Issam Jemâa (36) |
Home stadium | Stade Olympique de Radès |
FIFA code | TUN |
FIFA ranking | |
Current | 36 1 (12 January 2017) |
Highest | 19 (February 1998) |
Lowest | 65 (July 2010) |
Elo ranking | |
Current | 55 5 (23 January 2017) |
Highest | 24 (June 1978) |
Lowest | 103 (July 1988) |
First international | |
Tunisia 1–2 Algeria (Tunisia; 25 June 1957) |
|
Biggest win | |
Tunisia 7–0 Togo (Tunis, Tunisia; 7 January 2000) Tunisia 7–0 Malawi (Tunis, Tunisia; 26 March 2005) Tunisia 8–1 Djibouti (Radès, Tunisia; 12 June 2015) |
|
Biggest defeat | |
Hungary 10–1 Tunisia (Hungary; 24 July 1960) |
|
World Cup | |
Appearances | 4 (first in 1978) |
Best result | Group stage, 1978, 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
Africa Cup of Nations | |
Appearances | 18 (first in 1962) |
Best result | Champions, 2004 |
Confederations Cup | |
Appearances | 1 (first in 2005) |
Best result | Group stage, 2005 |
The Tunisia national football team (Arabic: منتخب تونس لكرة القدم), nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage (The Eagles of Carthage or The Carthage Eagles), is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Tunisian Football Federation. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round. Nevertheless, they created history in that 1978 tournament in Argentina by becoming the first African side to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico 3–1. They also held defending champions West Germany to a goalless draw before bowing out. They have since qualified for the three tournaments in succession, in 1998, 2002 and 2006: they were the only African team to appear at both the 2002 and 2006 tournaments.
Tunisia also won the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, when they hosted the tournament.
Tunisia's first World Cup was the 1978 competition held in Argentina. They became the first African team to win a World Cup game, defeating Mexico 3–1 in Rosario. A 1–0 defeat to 1974 semi-finalists Poland followed, but although The Eagles Of Carthage then held reigning champions West Germany to a 0–0 draw, they failed to reach the next stage. Tunisia failed to qualify for the World Cup again until twenty years later.