"There is perhaps no nation on earth whose football is as paranoid as that of Tunisia, and with so little reason. They qualified for a third successive World Cup with ease and forced a draw in a friendly against Brazil in November, yet their football is infected with fear. To watch them play is to experience a dystopian world in which imagination has been outlawed."
"They squabbled and spoiled, feigned injury and moaned, and every so often forgot themselves, played a handful of passes and looked the decent side that they really should be. They finally took the lead in the 89th minute thanks to Firas Chaouat's deft back-header but, almost immediately, Yassine Meriah handled a free-kick in the box and Lassine Sinayoko converted the resultant penalty. And Tunisia were never going to score twice."
Tunisia entered the Cup of Nations with recent successes but displayed pervasive fear and self-doubt on the pitch. The team dominated large parts of the Mali match and spent over an hour against ten men, yet failed to convert control into victory. Firas Chaouat scored a late 89th-minute back-header to give Tunisia the lead, but a Yassine Meriah handball allowed Lassine Sinayoko to equalise from the penalty spot. Tunisia led twice in the shootout but lost after passive play, feigned injuries, and self-sabotage. Senegal advanced as Pape Gueye scored twice and Ibrahima Mbaye added a third to beat Sudan 3-1.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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