Tunisia defender Montassar Talbi has called on fans to remain confident ahead of the national team’s World Cup group stage match against Sweden. The Eagles of Carthage secured their place in the tournament with a strong qualifying campaign, notably not conceding a goal in any of their ten qualifiers. However, Tunisia entered the finals after losing both of their recent warm-up fixtures.

Talbi, a centre-back currently playing for Lorient, emphasized the team’s commitment to their supporters and their ambition to progress beyond the group stage. “My message to Tunisians? We will honour you. The goal is to qualify for the second round — that’s the most important thing,” he said.

Tunisia’s squad features four players based in the United Kingdom: Yan Valery of Sheffield Wednesday, Hannibal Mejbri from Burnley, Anis Ben Slimane representing Norwich, and Sebastian Tounekti who plays for Celtic. The team will look to leverage this mix of international experience as they attempt to advance in the tournament.