Al-Chouali lashes out at the Tunisia national team: fiery words after the Botswana "disappointment"

Tunisian sports commentator Issam Chaouali exploded with anger after his country's national team drew 2-2 with Botswana, at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Eagles of Carthage sit top of Group Eight on two points for now, with Libya and Uganda still to play tomorrow, Tuesday.

It was the Tunisians' second draw after the 1-1 with Uganda, and the wait for a first win under new head coach Moïne Chaâbani goes on.

Chaouali said with regret, during his commentary on the match via the beIN Sports network, in the final minutes: "These players cannot be compared to the likes of Mehdi Nafti, Nabil Taïder, Adel Chedli and Chaouki Ben Saada... Stop tampering with the history of Tunisian football."

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He added: "I am not a specialist, but after all these failures, even if we win today, most of the team must be released and other names chosen, then we should be patient and make sacrifices. In the end, the answer is clear from its title, things will not get better," likening the current situation to "light doses of oxygen, which will be followed by major breathing crises," stressing: "There must be a radical solution, not painkillers."

His criticism then turned to the motives of some players for joining the national team: "Now most of the players who join the national team are only looking to add the label of international player to their CV, in order to boost their professional opportunities."

For Chaouali, the team's level throws the door open to anyone. "Any Tunisian, faced with this spirit and this weak performance, feels that he too could join the Tunisian national team," he said, all the more so given Botswana are ranked 150th in the world.

The final whistle brought no let-up. "The Radès match ends in a major disappointment," Chaouali said. "By God, even if they gave us another hour we would not score. After two points, the Tunisian national team continues its free fall in African football, and its qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations has become more threatened than ever."

He concluded: "Finally, I say, a major disappointment, but these are the limits of the capabilities, but reforms are needed," stressing that continuing on this path will be of no use.