Tunisia defender Ali Maaloul has retired from international football. This follows the disastrous campaign the Carthage Eagles endured at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Carthage Eagles were paired in Group E with Mali, South Africa, and Namibia in the tournament taking place in Cote d’Ivoire.
They shockingly lost their first game against minnows Namibia. They subsequently drew in the next match against Mali with a 1-1 scoreline before a goalless draw in the last game against South Africa.
Subsequently, their coach Jalel Kadri has resigned, adding up to technical casualties after the AFCON group stages.
The Al Ahly left back made his debut for Tunisia in 2014 against Morocco as he has represented the country in different AFCON tournaments.
He was also part of the Tunisian team that played in the FIFA World Cups in 2018 in Russia and in 2022 in Qatar.
From July 2013 to date, the 34-year-old has made 86 appearances for Tunisia and has scored three goals.
During his time with Tunisia, Ali Maaloul and Tunisia finished as FIFA Arab Cup runner-up in 2021. Individually, he featured in the CAF Team of the Year in 2017 and the IFFHS Men’s CAF Team of The Year in 2020, 2021, 2022.
