The Eagles of Carthage absolutely had to win against South Africa to qualify, but did not succeed in their bet. Which makes them take the door of this CAN. Conversely, Namibia achieved the feat of securing an unexpected qualification for the final stages.
Group E delivered a cruel verdict for Tunisia , eliminated from CAN 2023, after its draw against South Africa (0-0). A result that without panache qualifies Bafana Bafana for the round of 16.
The Carthage Eagles tried to take the game into their own hands at the start of the match, but they came up against an established South African defence, a closed first game in short.
Despite a slight domination in possession of the ball, the selection of Jalel Kadri did not shoot for more than 40 minutes during the second period, until its only clear opportunity, on a header from Haythem Jouini off of the frame (89th).
The Carthage Eagles leave the competition with only two small points scored and one goal scored. A poor performance for one of the five African teams to have played in the last World Cup and which had qualified eight times for the knockout phase in its 10 previous participations in the CAN.
Historic feat
Same result for the other match between Mali, 1st in the group, and Namibia.
A Namibia which achieved the feat of obtaining an unexpected qualification for the final stages as “best third” thanks to its four points.
The fact remains that from a sporting point of view, the two teams have never tried to make the match.
It must be recognized that the sharing of points suited everyone: the Eagles are 1st, the Brave Warriors qualified in the round of 16, an achievement.
A feat which could become historic if they beat Angola on January 27.
