New head coach Sabri Lamouchi has made a bold statement by omitting captain Ferjani Sassi and key defender Yassine Meriah from Tunisia's 26-man World Cup squad. The decision, announced on Friday, signals a fresh direction for the North African side as they prepare for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Sassi, who has 101 caps, and Meriah, with 95, were both dropped, leaving them set to miss this summer's competition. Lamouchi, appointed in January after Sami Trabelsi's dismissal following Tunisia's Africa Cup of Nations last-16 exit, had already reshaped the squad for March friendlies.
The squad blends youth and experience, with surprise call-ups for 21-year-old Khalil Ayari, signed by Paris St Germain but yet to debut for the first team, and 18-year-old Rayan Elloumi, who has only two MLS starts for Vancouver Whitecaps. Canadian-born Elloumi played for World Cup co-hosts the United States in a friendly earlier this year.
Also included is 32-year-old midfielder Rani Khedira, brother of 2014 World Cup winner Sami Khedira, who switched his footballing nationality to Tunisia in March and debuted for the North Africans. Tunisia, competing at a seventh World Cup, are in Group F with Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands, starting against Sweden on 14 June.
