Tunisia end AFCON preparations with confidence-boosting win over Burundi
In their final warm-up match ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia recorded a 2-1 victory over Burundi, a match largely dominated by the Eagles of Carthage.
Facing an energetic and well-organized Burundian side, the Tunisians had to wait until the second half to make the difference. The deadlock was finally broken in the 66th minute when Taha Yassine Khenissi opened the scoring. Burundi quickly responded through Cédric Amissi, who equalized with a superb strike. Just as the match seemed destined for a draw, Naim Sliti capitalized on a defensive error in stoppage time to snatch victory for Tunisia in the 93rd minute.
After the match, head coach Alain Giresse expressed his satisfaction, while keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
“It always feels good to finish preparations for a major continental competition with a victory. But that’s not the most important thing. This match against Burundi was very interesting, against a young and difficult team. It really gave us a taste of what the final phase of the AFCON will be like,” he said.
“We’ve gained confidence with each match, and tonight’s performance against a respectable opponent who played well will help us determine the starting lineup for the first official game.”
For this final rehearsal, Giresse opted for a 4-3-3 formation, making several changes compared to the team that defeated Croatia.
“We rotated the squad to assess different options and to see what each player can bring at the right moment,” he explained.
With this result, Tunisia completes its preparation campaign with a perfect record: three matches, three wins, including a prestigious victory over World Cup finalists Croatia. A run of form that places the Carthage Eagles in an encouraging position as they head into the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations full of confidence and ambition.
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