Football World Cup 1978 / Tunisia

This article covers the Tunisian national soccer team at the 1978 World Cup .

qualification

First round

Morocco	-	Tunisia	1: 1
Tunisia	-	Morocco	1: 1

Tunisia won 4-2 on penalties .

Second round

Tunisia	-	Algeria	2-0
Algeria	-	Tunisia	1: 1

Third round

Guinea	-	Tunisia	1-0
Tunisia	-	Guinea	3: 1

Final round

rank	country	Gates	Points
1	Tunisia	7: 4	5
2	Egypt	7:11	4th
3	Nigeria	5: 4	3

Tunisia	-	Nigeria	0-0
Nigeria	-	Tunisia	0: 1
Egypt	-	Tunisia	3: 2
Tunisia	-	Egypt	4: 1

Tunisian contingent

Number / name		Association at the time	birthday	International matches
goalkeeper
1	Sadok Sassi	Club Africain Tunis	November 15, 1945
21st	Lamine Ben Aziza	Étoile Sportive du Sahel	11/10/1952
22nd	Mokhtar Naili	Club Africain Tunis	09/03/1953
Defense
2	Mokhtar Dhouieb	CS Sfax	03/23/1952
3	Ali Kaabi	COT Tunis	11/15/1953
5	Mohsen Labidi Jendoubi	Stade Tunisia	January 15, 1954
17th	Ridha El-Louze	Sfax Railways Sports	04/27/1953
18th	Camel Chebli	Club Africain Tunis	03/09/1954
20th	Cupid Jebali	AS Marsa	December 24, 1956
midfield
4th	Khaled Gasmi	Club Athlétique Bizertin	04/08/1953
6th	Néjib Ghommidh	Club Africain Tunis	03/12/1953
8th	Mohammed Ben Rehaiem Agrabi	CS Sfax	03/20/1951
10	Tarak Dhiab	Espérance Sportive de Tunis	07/15/1954
12	Khemais Labidi	Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise	08/30/1950
attack
7th	Témime Lahzami	Al-Ittihad	01/01/1949
9	Mohammed Ali Akid	CS Sfax	07/05/1949
11	Abderraouf Ben Aziza	Étoile Sportive du Sahel	09/23/1953
13	Néjib Liman	Stade Tunisia	06/12/1953
14th	Slah Karoui	Étoile Sportive du Sahel	09/11/1951
15th	Mohammed Ben Mouza	Club Africain Tunis	04/05/1954
16	Ohman Chehaibi	Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise	December 23, 1954
19th	Mokhtar Hasni	RAA La Louvière	03/19/1952
Trainer
	Abdelmajid Chetali		07/04/1939

Games of the Tunisian team

First round

rank	country	Gates	Points
1	Poland	4: 1	5
2	Germany	6-0	4th
3	Tunisia	3: 2	3
4th	Mexico	2:12	0

• Tunisia - Mexico 3: 1 (0: 1)

Stadium: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito ( Rosario )

Spectators: 17,396

Referee: Gordon ( Scotland )

Goals: 0: 1 Vázquez Ayala (45th) 11m , 1: 1 Kaabi (55th), 2: 1 Ghommidh (79th), 3: 1 Dhouib (87th)

• Poland - Tunisia 1: 0 (1: 0)

Stadium: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito ( Rosario )

Spectators: 9,624

Referee: Martinez ( Spain )

Goals: 1-0 Lato (43rd)

• Germany - Tunisia 0: 0 (0: 0)

Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras ( Córdoba )

Spectators: 30,667

Referee: Guerrero Orosco ( Peru )

Goals: none

Group 2, in which Germany was drawn, was classified in advance as easy. Poland, Mexico and Tunisia did not seem insurmountable on paper. The opening game against the supposedly strongest opponent Poland, who was third in the World Cup four years ago, turned out to be a lousy 0-0 kick, with both teams being only the shadows of the teams that were so successful four years ago. Against a completely insecure Mexico, which previously lost to Tunisia 1: 3, a 6-0 victory was achieved, but the happy 0-0 against the North Africans in the last group game threw the German team back. Poland had also done their homework after the opening game (1-0 against Tunisia and 3-1 against Mexico) and were group winners. The Germans, who renounced legionnaires like Beckenbauer (Cosmos New York), Stielike (Real Madrid) and those who have since stepped down (Paul Breitner), also had for the playmakers of the early seventies, Overath and Netzer, despite Hansi Müller, Heinz Flohe and Erich Beer not a full replacement. The attack also remained disappointing, where Rummenigge, Fischer, Dieter Müller and Abramczik hardly achieved normal form.