RABAT: Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi admitted his side have not lived up to expectations at the Africa Cup of Nations and said a mental reset will be key as they prepare to face Mali in the last 16 on Saturday.
The 2004 champions began the tournament with promise, beating Uganda 3-1, but momentum faded with a 1-1 draw against Tanzania followed by a narrow 3-2 defeat to Nigeria. Despite the mixed results, Tunisia did enough to progress from the group stage.
Trabelsi acknowledged the need for improvement, stressing that performances must be more consistent in the knockout rounds.
“We are not satisfied with the overall performance and results of the Tunisian team in the tournament,” Trabelsi told a press conference on Friday. “God willing, we will show our true face against Mali and achieve success.”
The coach highlighted the importance of the psychological side of the game as the competition enters its decisive phase.
“I hope the result goes our way as a new phase of the competition begins. The mental aspect is very important, and we’ve freed ourselves from pressure,” he said.
