Tunisia's Bold Reset: Sassi and Maaloul Lead New Squad

Moine Chaabani has wasted no time putting his stamp on Tunisia. For the opening two rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the Eagles of Carthage head coach has torn up the World Cup blueprint and gone with a remodelled squad – one that brings back big names, but also sends some clear messages.

Tunisia face Uganda on 24 September and Botswana on 28 September. Those are the first competitive steps of a new cycle. Chaabani has treated them like a fresh start.

Sassi back at the heart of it

The headline name is Ferjani Sassi. Once the midfield heartbeat and a former captain during the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup, he was left out of the 2026 World Cup. Now he’s back.

The Tunisian Football Federation’s list confirms his recall, and he is not alone. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni also return, restoring a familiar core and bringing three Qatar-based players back into the national-team fold. Experience, know-how, and a touch of authority return with them.

Maaloul returns, Abdi misses out

On the left flank, another pillar is restored. Ali Maaloul is back after missing the World Cup, adding craft and leadership on the defensive line.

But where there is a comeback, there is also a casualty. Ali Abdi, the Nice defender, has not made the cut. His omission follows the controversy sparked in Tunisia when he said he was ready to skip the World Cup to help his club in the relegation play-offs. He later apologised, but Chaabani’s first squad offers no route back yet.

World Cup squad dismantled

Look closely and the scale of the shake-up becomes clear. Only 14 players from the recent World Cup squad have survived into this list. The rest is new blood, returning stalwarts, and a clear reshaping of the hierarchy.

Some absences are enforced. Hannibal Mejbri misses out through injury. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have stepped away from international duty, retiring from the national team and leaving a gap in midfield that Sassi, Laidouni and others will now have to fill.

Others have simply been dropped. Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad are all out. For them, the new era starts on the outside looking in.

New faces step into the light

The door closing on some has opened for others. Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida receives his first senior call-up, rewarded for his club form with a chance to stake a claim in attack. Dijon’s Sami Chouchane also earns a maiden invitation, adding another option in midfield.

These are not cosmetic changes. They cut right through the spine of the squad.

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 faces return. New ones step in. The World Cup squad, in many ways, belongs to the past. Uganda and Botswana will show whether Chaabani’s sweeping reset belongs to Tunisia’s future.