Tunisia will need Wahbi Khazri to reproduce his recent club form if they are to justify their status as one of the favourites at this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
Moving the tournament from their North African neighbours Morocco to Equatorial Guinea may have been greeted with disappointment in Tunisia, but the team were boosted by a kind draw for the finals which will see them face Zambia, Cape Verde and DR Congo in Group B.
Under Belgian coach Georges Leekens, Tunisia came unbeaten through a testing qualifying group that featured Senegal, Egypt and Botswana and are currently Africa’s second-best side behind Algeria in the Fifa rankings.
Leekens’ side only scored six goals in six qualifiers, but two of those goals came from Khazri, who displayed his dead-ball prowess with a stunning free-kick to set up a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Botswana in their opening game in September.
And he capped a succesful campaign with another superb free-kick as Tunisia came from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 in their last qualifier in Monastir in November.
"When I score a goal for my country, it doesn't matter who it's against, it sends a shiver through my spine," said Khazri in a recent interview with Le Point Afrique.
“You pull on the shirt of your country and you know that everyone is watching.”
And yet Khazri might not have played for Tunisia at all. Born in Corsica, he was capped once at Under 21 level by France, playing alongside the likes of Raphael Varane and Alexandre Lacazette in a 1-1 draw with Italy in February 2012.
However, he was soon tempted to represent Tunisia, and featured in Sami Trabelsi’s squad at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, playing in the 1-1 draw with Togo.
“I had some good moments with the France Under 21s and played alongside some great players but you can’t hide the fact that there are so many super players in the senior team too, and the decision also came from my heart. My father was also very keen,” Khazri told French television station Canal Plus last year of his decision to change allegiance.
He initially came to Tunisia’s attention thanks to his performances for Corsican club Bastia, whom he helped win promotion to Ligue 1 in 2012 and then scored 13 goals for over the next two seasons.
That tally included a remarkable free-kick on his 22nd birthday in 2013 in a 3-1 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, by which time he was already a target for bigger clubs.
A move to Bordeaux on a four-year contract followed last summer, with Khazri jumping at the chance to join one of France’s most famous clubs.
“I am very happy. This is a step up for me,” Khazri said at his unveiling.
He has scored five league goals this season and Willy Sagnol’s side will miss him during the African Cup.
Khazri, who is one of six French-based players in the Tunisia squad, fell out of favour after the 2013 tournament but has worked his way back into the reckoning under Leekens, a coach of whom he speaks glowingly.
“It is a pleasure to work with him. He is very thorough and has great international experience both as a player and a coach. He brings a huge amount to the team,” he told Le Point Afrique.
Of Tunisia’s prospects, Khazri added: “No game will be easy but Tunisia will have their say. We can go all the way and win it.”
Tunisia have not gone beyond the quarter-finals since winning the trophy as hosts in 2004, and winning it would be a dream in particular for Khazri, who turns 24 on February 8, the day of the final.
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