Syria players during a training session in Doha.
Doha, Qatar: Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi confirmed yesterday that the Carthage Eagles are ready for to take on Syria in the “highly important” FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 opener at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium today.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference yesterday, Trabelsi noted his team’s strong run in the previous edition of the tournament.
“The Arab Cup is important for us. We had a great tournament last time, and we want to go far again,” Trabelsi said ahead of the Group A fixture.
Trabelsi said Seifeddine Jaziri has been drafted into the squad as a late replacement for the injured Naim Sliti, adding that the Zamalek striker earned his call after staff identified gaps in the attacking role.
Tunisia Coach Sami Trabelsi
“Saif Al Jaziri will join us after the second match he played with Zamalek. We saw that this position has some problems, unlike the other positions,” Trabelsi said.
“He was with us during the last international break against Brazil, and he was the closest to being with us from the beginning.”
Trabelsi praised Syria’s fighting qualities and technical strengths, saying his players must adjust quickly despite club-level challenges.
“The tournament will be extremely difficult due to the circumstances facing the players, but we will strive to adapt,” he said.
“I lived the best part of my career in Qatar, both as a player and a coach, and I hope that the Tunisian fans will play an important and significant role in supporting the Tunisian national team during the current edition of the tournament, and that they will have a role in pushing us towards achieving the title,” Trabelsi added.
Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi said his squad aims to open the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 with a clean, confident performance. The midfielder said the team is ready for the opener and understands the challenge ahead and stressed that Syria has quality across the pitch, but Tunisia arrives focused and prepared.
Sassi, who plays for Al Gharafa in the Qatar Stars League, confirmed he has recovered well from his recent injury suffered during the match against Shabab Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League, and is available for selection. He said the final call on his minutes rests with the coach, but he feels fit and ready to contribute.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Spanish coach Jose Lana said his squad arrived in Doha in positive spirits and ready to test themselves.
“We are in a good position and happy with the atmosphere in the camp,” he said.
“We have an opportunity to face a different opponent and we are working hard to prepare.”
Lana highlighted the youth in his squad.
Syria Coach, Jose Lana
“We have many young players who aspire to represent the national team well. They have good abilities, but they need more experience,” he said.
The Spaniard also added that organisation and preparation have gone smoothly, and he expects Syria to deliver a strong performance for their supporters.
Syrian international Mohammad Al Hallak indicated he is targeting strong results in Doha.
Al Hallak described tomorrow’s opener against Tunisia as “very important and very difficult”, stressing that the team will need a high level of focus to start well.
The match kicks off at 4:00pm.
