Tunisia continued their disappointing run of form, settling for a 1–1 draw against Uganda at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès during the opening round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, marking the first official match under new head coach Moïn Chaâbani.
The Eagles of Carthage gained an early lead in the 12th minute through defender Adam Arrous following an assist from Khalil El Ayari. However, the national side failed to capitalize on their advantage, allowing the visitors to equalize through Rogers Mato in the 68th minute before the closing stages elapsed without a convincing response from the hosts.
The setback occurred despite sweeping roster changes implemented by Chaâbani, who retained only 14 players from the World Cup squad while recalling several experienced figures—led by Ferjani Sassi, Aïssa Laïdouni, and Ali Maâloul—in an effort to rebuild a team that has lost significant confidence in recent months.
Tunisia has experienced a marked collapse following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they lost all three group stage fixtures—beginning with a disastrous 5–1 defeat to Sweden, followed by a 4–0 loss to Japan and a 3–1 defeat to the Netherlands—exiting the tournament having conceded 12 goals while scoring just twice.
The loss to Sweden resulted in the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi after just one World Cup match. Hervé Renard was subsequently appointed on an interim basis but suffered defeats in the remaining two fixtures before departing upon elimination. On July 28, the Tunisian Football Federation appointed Chaâbani on a four-year contract, making him the national team’s fourth manager in less than eight months; however, his tenure began with a result that compounded existing doubts rather than alleviating them.
Elsewhere in the day’s qualifying fixtures, Ivory Coast defeated Ghana 2–0 in the Group C headline match, while Cameroon beat Comoros 3–1, and Mauritania secured a 3–1 victory over the Central African Republic. Democratic Republic of the Congo registered a 2–0 win over Equatorial Guinea, whereas Libya mounted a two-goal comeback to draw 2–2 with Botswana in Tunisia’s group.
The opening results in Group H leave all four teams tied on one point, with Libya and Botswana technically leading on goals scored. The situation is particularly sensitive for Tunisia because Uganda has automatically qualified as one of the co-host nations; consequently, only the highest-ranked team among Tunisia, Libya, and Botswana will secure qualification, departing from the standard format that awards two qualifying spots per group.
The Eagles of Carthage now face a crucial fixture against Botswana on September 28—a match relocated to Radès instead of Gaborone. The qualification stage comprises six round-robin matchdays, with rounds three and four scheduled for November 2026, followed by the final two matchdays in March 2027.
