The Tunisian Football Federation is preparing to appoint former international midfielder Mejdi Traoui as head coach of the country’s U20 national team, as Tunisia gears up for the upcoming Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Traoui, who previously served both as a player and assistant coach with the senior national team, is expected to assume the role in the coming days.
His appointment comes as part of Tunisia’s preparations for the continental competition scheduled from April 26 to May 18.
The tournament not only crowns Africa’s U20 champions but also serves as the qualifying event for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Chile.
The top four teams from the tournament will book their tickets to the global event.
Assisting Traoui in the technical setup will be Aymen Mathlouthi, the former Tunisia goalkeeper renowned for his heroics during the 2004 African Cup of Nations triumph and multiple World Cup campaigns.
Their partnership is expected to bring experience and continuity to a young squad aiming to challenge for honours.
Tunisia’s place in the competition was made possible after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) granted the country a late entry.
This came in the wake of Côte d’Ivoire’s decision to withdraw from the tournament and relinquish hosting duties.
Tunisia, which had originally placed third in its regional qualifiers behind Morocco and Egypt, appealed based on North Africa’s right to three qualifying slots as the designated host zone.
CAF’s Executive Committee accepted the request, paving the way for Tunisia’s inclusion in the final tournament. With the confirmation of participation, the federation has moved swiftly to restructure the technical team, with hopes of a strong showing that could secure World Cup qualification.
