Chaabani Overhauls Tunisia Squad with Sassi and Maaloul Returns

Moine Chaabani has wasted no time putting his stamp on Tunisia. For the opening two qualifiers of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the Eagles of Carthage will look and feel very different from the side that went to the 2026 World Cup.

Uganda visit on 24 September, Botswana follow on 28 September. Tunisia will go into those games with only 14 players retained from the World Cup squad – and a wave of returning and first-time faces around them.

Sassi back at the heart of it

The biggest headline is in midfield. Ferjani Sassi is back.

Once a captain during the Africa Cup of Nations and the Arab Cup, Sassi was left out of the World Cup campaign. Chaabani has brought him in from the cold, turning again to his experience and personality at the centre of the pitch.

He is not alone. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Aissa Laidouni also return, restoring a core that had been missing. All three are active in the Qatari league and now back in the national fold, a clear signal that club geography will not stand in the way of form and trust.

Maaloul restored, Abdi omitted

On the left flank, another familiar name reappears. Ali Maaloul returns after missing the World Cup, adding craft and leadership to a defensive unit that has been reshaped.

Ali Abdi, though, pays the price. The Nice defender does not make the cut, despite having apologised for comments that caused a stir in Tunisia when he said he was ready to skip the World Cup to help his club fight relegation in the play-offs. His absence underlines the ruthlessness of this reset.

Injuries, retirements and casualties of the rebuild

Some omissions were unavoidable. Hannibal Mejbri is out injured and unavailable for selection.

Others are permanent. Rani Khedira and Elyes Skhiri have both stepped away from international football, leaving a gap in the spine that Chaabani must now fill with a new generation.

Then come the technical decisions. Firas Chaouat, Dylan Bronn, Omar Rekik, Mohamed Haj Mahmoud, Mortadha Ben Ouanes and Elias Saad all drop out compared with the World Cup squad. Between retirements, injuries and coaching choices, the landscape has shifted dramatically.

New blood for a new cycle

The overhaul is not just about comebacks. It is also about fresh starts.

Club Africain striker Mohamed Sadok Guidida earns his first senior call-up, a reward for his domestic impact and a nod to the local league’s importance in this new era. Joining him on the international stage is Sami Chouchane of Dijon, another maiden inclusion as Chaabani broadens his options in midfield.

These first caps sit alongside the returns of Sassi, Ben Romdhane and Laidouni, blending experience and youth as Tunisia open a new qualifying campaign.

The 27-man 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 leaders have been recalled. A clutch of World Cup names has gone. Two debutants step into the light.

For Chaabani and Tunisia, this is not a gentle evolution. It is a clear break from the World Cup squad – and the first hard test of that gamble comes as soon as Uganda walk out onto Tunisian soil.