Sabri Lamouchi is counting on Tunisia's formidable defence to continue blunting attacks this summer as the North Africans target qualifying for the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
The 2026 World Cup, being held in the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11, sees Tunisia placed in Group F alongside Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands.
Tunisia qualified for a third successive World Cup after a near-perfect qualifying campaign, winning nine of 10 games. A stingy defence marshalled by Montassar Talbi and Dylan Bronn and backed up by goalkeeper Aymen Dahmene conceded no goals, making Tunisia – along with Ivory Coast – the first teams in history to reach a global finals without a single goal scored against them.
Lamouchi, who succeeded Sami Trabelsi as head coach following a disappointing showing at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, paid tribute to his predecessor but warned Tunisia's defence to expect a much higher calibre of opposition at the World Cup than they faced in qualifying.
"I have to give credit where it is due. It was my predecessor, Sami Trabelsi, and the players who produced that incredible performance," Lamouchi said in an interview with Fifa.com.
"I think they were the only team in the world, or I think, perhaps Cote d'Ivoire as well, who didn't concede any goals. That is something pretty rare.
"It shows you're a great side that, above all, defends well as a team, even if the World Cup will be a higher level altogether. The teams we're going to face will make much more difficult demands of us, at a much higher level of intensity, and we'll have to stand up and be counted."
The Eagles of Carthage have never made it past the group phase in their six previous World Cup campaigns, something Lamouchi hopes to put right this summer.
At the Qatar World Cup in 2022, Tunisia beat eventual finalists France in their final group game but missed out on a first knockout appearance as Australia beat Denmark in their match to drop the North Africans down to third in the group.
"That’s an objective for everyone, but between having an objective and doing everything in order to achieve it, there are stages, there are opponents," Lamouchi added.
The expanded 48-team World Cup features 12 groups of four, with the top two in each automatically qualifying for the last 32. The eight best third-placed teams will also advance.
"I say to my players that we certainly can’t win every match. However, we have to give it our all. This means being selfless for the team from the moment we start. Then we’ll give ourselves a little more of a chance.
"And I’m convinced that with maybe one or two good results, there’ll be a realisation, there’ll be a boost of confidence, because we have young players who are not far from taking it to the next level and whom we have to help to reach that next level."
