Moine Chaabani hasn’t just tweaked Tunisia’s squad. He’s torn it up and drawn a new blueprint.
For the opening rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda on 24 September and Botswana on 28 September, the Eagles of Carthage will take the field with a group that looks and feels very different from the one that went to the 2026 World Cup.
The headline is clear: the old guard is back in the room.
Ferjani Sassi, once the heartbeat of Tunisia’s midfield and a former captain during the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup, returns after being left out of the World Cup. His omission then was a shock; his recall now is a statement. Alongside him, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni also rejoin the fold, restoring a core of experience and bringing three Qatar-based players back into the national picture.
At left-back, another familiar figure steps back under the spotlight. Ali Maaloul, who also missed the World Cup, is recalled to add craft and leadership down the flank. His return comes at the expense of Ali Abdi. The Nice defender, who recently caused a storm in Tunisia by suggesting he was prepared to skip the World Cup to help his club in the relegation play-offs, misses out despite later apologising for those remarks. The door may not be closed forever, but it is firmly shut for this window.
The contrast with the World Cup squad is stark.
Only 14 players from that campaign survive in Chaabani’s new list. The cull is real. Hannibal Mejbri is absent through injury, depriving Tunisia of one of their brightest young talents. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have both stepped away from international duty altogether, stripping the midfield of two seasoned operators who had become pillars in recent years.
Others simply fall out of favour. Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad all drop out, underlining the scale of the reset. This is not a gentle evolution; it is a deliberate break from the World Cup cycle.
Amid the returns and departures, there is room for fresh blood. Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida earns his first call-up, a reward for his domestic form and a nod to the future of Tunisia’s attack. Dijon’s Sami Chouchane also receives a maiden invitation, stepping into a midfield that suddenly looks both renewed and wide open for new leaders to emerge.
The structure of the squad underlines Chaabani’s intent.
In goal, Aymen Dahmen, Sabri Ben Hassen and Mouhib Chamekh form the trio tasked with providing stability behind a remodelled defence. The back line features Yann Valery, Moatez Neffati, Adam Arous, Mohamed Nasraoui, Montassar Talbi, Alaa Ghram, Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida, Amine Charni and the returning Maaloul, a mix of continuity and new competition across every position.
Midfield, once again, becomes Tunisia’s engine room of identity. Sassi, Ben Romdhane and Laidouni headline a group that also includes Hamza Rafia, Chouchane, Ismail Gharbi and Anis Ben Slimane. There is technique, there is bite, and there is a clear challenge: who will step up to replace the influence of Skhiri and Khedira?
Up front, the options are spread wide. Khalil Ayari, Seifallah Ltaief, Elyes Achouri, Rayan Layouni, Sebastien Tounekti, Hamza Mastouri and Sadok Guidida give Chaabani a variety of profiles, from wide runners to penalty-box predators. It is not a superstar forward line on paper, but it is flexible and hungry, which might be exactly what this new cycle demands.
The message from this list is unmistakable. Reputation alone no longer guarantees a place. Past service is respected, not worshipped. Chaabani has brought back strong personalities, cut others loose and handed debuts to emerging talents, all before a ball is kicked in this AFCON qualifying campaign.
Uganda and Botswana will provide the first examination of this reshaped Tunisia. The names are familiar, the combinations are not. How quickly this rebuilt side gels will tell us whether this is a bold masterstroke or a risky overhaul at the start of a crucial cycle.
