A public on fire, a double exploit at the key… Tunisia, last in group D, will play very big this Wednesday at the Education City Stadium in Doha (4 p.m.) against the French team.
Tense Tuesday at a press conference, because under fire from critics, coach Jalel Kadri expects a rough match.
He must imperatively win to qualify for the round of 16, then hope for a draw between Denmark and Australia, or a narrower victory for the Danes.
How are you preparing for this crucial match for your selection?
Jalel Kadri
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We expect a very difficult game.
Tomorrow we face the defending champions.
A difficult match even if as I mentioned, I have 26 players in the squad and all have the skills for such a match.
We had a very good result against Denmark (0-0).
We didn't have much luck against Australia (0-1) at the refereeing level.
It was part of football, we are responsible for the choices on the pitch.
Today, the message is: nothing is impossible.
We are here 100% to get a good result.
You are under a lot of criticism in your country.
We focus on the match, not on the rest.
Will you stay in place if you are not qualified?
We are responsible for a match and I hope to have the answer to this question at the end of the match.
Your team still enjoys great support from the Tunisian crowd here in Doha.
How important is it?
The most important point is to feel proud.
Proud of our supporters, no matter what anyone says about them.
They put positive pressure on our shoulders and we want to make them happy.
This is our message.
I believe in my players.
We will therefore give the best of ourselves to achieve a good result.
We hope to be lucky and qualify for the final phase.
There is a special history between the two countries.
How does that make this game different?
Yes, we have a strong history between France and Tunisia.
We respect all the teams, including the France team.
Many were born and live in France but that does not impact the competitiveness of my team.
It doesn't matter where they were born.
Tunisia has never beaten France and has never qualified for the finals.
Does that add enormous pressure to you?
France is a footballing nation, which we respect but we don't meet a lot.
Tomorrow we have a historic match to play and we hope to finish victorious.
