Tanzania and Tunisia will go up against each other for the second automatic qualification ticket in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday.
The Taifa Stars of Tanzania gave themselves a fighting chance, with a 1-1 draw against Uganda ahead of their final match in Group C.
Although they only have a point after two matches, they stand a good chance of booking their place in the round of 16 if they defeat the North Africans, provided there are no surprise results elsewhere.
However, the East Africans do not have a lot of victories under their belt lately, as they have drawn three and lost six of their nine matches across all competitions.
Nevertheless, they still have to put their best foot forward if they are to secure their place in the round of 16 of the 2025 edition of the competition.
Tunisia started their campaign on a blistering note, sweeping past Uganda 3-1 in their opening game of the competition.
However, their quest for a place in the round of16 suffered a setback, after a 3-2 defeat at the hands of former champions Nigeria.
The Carthage Eagles looked a shadow of themselves in that contest against the Super Eagles for most of the fixture, but they rediscovered themselves and reminded all of what they are capable of in the final quarter of the match.
Needing only a draw to go through, the Tunisians will fancy their chances against the Tanzanians on Tuesday.
How the bookies view it: Tunisia all the way
Ben Slimane’s team have been installed as favourites by the bookmakers, with the North Africans priced at 1/2 on Bet365, while Tanzania are valued at 7/1 for a victory on Tuesday, while a draw is set at 14/5.
Head-to-head: Tunisia have the upper hand
These teams have met twice in the past, with Tunisia claiming a 1-0 victory in the first meeting, before the second match finished in a stalemate four days later.
Player to watch: Hannibal Mejbri
The Burnley midfielder has proven to be one of the most important players in the Tunisian setup. A case in point was his assists for Montassar Talbi to set up a grandstand finish against Nigeria.
Probable line-ups
Both teams are well aware of the importance of this encounter, and they will be desperate to get the much-needed result.
With that in mind, both managers will send out their strongest teams, and as such, there is a high likelihood of seeing a familiar set of players on Tuesday.
That said, Mohamed Ben Ali Romdhane is doubtful for the Tunisians after going off injured against Nigeria.
Tanzania: Foba, Hussein, Hamad, Nwamnyeto, Mnoga, Msuva, Msanga, Salum, Miroshi, Allarakhia, John
Tunisia: Dahmen, Valery, Bronn, Talbi, Abdi, Sassi, Mejbri, Skhiri Achouri, Mastouri, Tounekti
Anything else that catches the eye?
Given the importance of this match, we expect an action-packed encounter with a lot of goalmouth action.
In addition, five of Tunisia’s last five matches have seen goals from both sides. Therefore, both teams to score -yes option looks attractive.
GambleAware