Chaabani Reshapes Tunisia for AFCON 2027

Moine Chaabani has wasted no time putting his stamp on Tunisia. For the opening rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the Eagles of Carthage look and feel like a team at the start of a new cycle rather than one gently tweaking after a World Cup.

Upcoming Matches: Uganda on 24 September, Botswana four days later.

Sassi and Maaloul Back at the Heart of It

The headline is clear: Ferjani Sassi is back.

Once a central pillar of this side and a former captain during both the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup, Sassi watched the 2026 World Cup from afar. Now Chaabani has recalled the experienced midfielder, signalling that leadership and know-how are still prized commodities in a squad undergoing a major refresh.

He is not alone. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni also return, restoring a familiar spine in midfield. All three are active in the Qatari league, and all three step back into a national team dressing room that has changed significantly since the World Cup.

On the left flank, another big name is back in the frame. Ali Maaloul, absent from the World Cup campaign, returns to bolster the defence and offer his trademark thrust down the wing. His recall underlines Chaabani’s willingness to lean on trusted figures while reshaping everything around them.

Ali Abdi Left Out as World Cup Core Thins

If Maaloul’s name jumps off the page, Ali Abdi’s absence is just as striking.

The Nice defender does not make the cut, despite publicly apologising for the comments that caused uproar in Tunisia, when he said he was prepared to skip the World Cup to help his club in the relegation play-offs. Chaabani has chosen a different path at left-back, and Abdi will have to wait to find out if that door is closed or merely ajar.

Compared with the World Cup squad, the turnover is brutal. Only 14 players survive from the group that went to the 2026 tournament. The rest is a mix of returnees, fresh faces and a clear break with what came before.

Some changes were forced. Hannibal Mejbri misses out through injury. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have both stepped away from international football, leaving a sizeable hole in central midfield.

Others are purely technical choices. Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad all drop out as Chaabani redraws the depth chart.

The message? No automatic places. Not anymore.

New Blood: Guidida and Chouchane Get Their Chance

Amid the returns and omissions, two names mark a new chapter.

Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida earns his first call-up, a reward for his rise on the domestic scene and a sign that local form still carries weight. Joining him in the newcomers’ row is Sami Chouchane of Dijon, another fresh option in midfield for a coach clearly intent on broadening his base.

These are not cosmetic additions. With only 14 World Cup players retained, the door has been thrown open for those ready to seize it.

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 leaders are back, but the comfort zone has gone. Uganda and Botswana will provide the first clues: is this simply a refreshed Tunisia, or the beginning of a very different Eagles of Carthage era?