Tunisia striker Hazem Al-Mastouri has attracted attention with his assessment of the national team’s performance after the 2-2 draw with Botswana, despite scoring both goals for the Eagles of Carthage.
Al-Mastouri was one of Tunisia’s standout players in the match, producing an influential display in attack and twice finding the net. However, his comments after the final whistle have prompted questions because Tunisia are still waiting for their first win in the qualifiers.
“Thank God, we played an excellent match, and I am very happy with the level that I and my teammates presented today,” Al-Mastouri said after the game.
The striker’s individual contribution has not been the focus of the criticism surrounding his comments. His two goals and overall performance made him one of Tunisia’s most effective players during the match.
Instead, attention has centred on his assessment of the team’s display as a whole, particularly given that Tunisia were unable to turn their performance into a victory.
The 2-2 draw with Botswana followed a 1-1 draw against Uganda in the opening round, leaving Tunisia without a win from their first two matches. The team has therefore dropped points in both of its opening fixtures.
That start has raised questions about how the Tunisian players are assessing their performances and whether periods of good play are being given greater importance than the final results.
Tunisia began the qualifiers with expectations of competing for a place at the Africa Cup of Nations, but the opening two matches have not produced the results the team would have wanted.
Four points have now been dropped from the first two rounds, although it remains too early to determine Tunisia’s prospects of qualifying. The team still has several matches to play in the campaign.
Tunisia will face Libya twice in November before travelling to play Uganda and Botswana in March 2027.
The national team is seeking to maintain its record of appearing at the Africa Cup of Nations, having not missed the tournament since the 1994 edition.
The results from the opening two rounds mean Tunisia will need improved results in the remaining fixtures to avoid facing a more difficult qualification situation later in the campaign.
For Al-Mastouri, however, the draw against Botswana was also a personal success. His two goals and attacking performance stood out in a match in which Tunisia failed to secure their first victory.
His comments have nevertheless created a wider discussion over how the team’s performance should be judged, particularly when an encouraging individual display is accompanied by a result that leaves Tunisia still searching for a win.
The striker himself remains largely beyond criticism for his contribution against Botswana, with his goals making him one of the clearest positives for Tunisia.
The debate instead concerns whether describing the team’s overall performance as “excellent” reflects the results achieved in the opening two matches of the qualifiers.
