Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri announced on Wednesday that he was leaving his post after his team was eliminated in the first round at the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Ivory Coast. Jalel Kadri, in office since January 2022, announced his decision in televised statements following the draw (0-0) against South Africa which sealed the elimination of the Carthage Eagles from the competition without the lesser victory. “My decision is clear. I have a contract which sets the objective of the semi-finals and since this objective has not been achieved the contract ends,” he declared. “It’s my decision and that’s what my contract says.”
Tunisia completely missed its African Cup which it left after the sad draw against South Africa, which clinched its ticket for the second round. The “Eagles of Carthage” finished last in a group E of which they were the top seeds, far from the dreams of glory of a team which had beaten France (1-0) thirteen months ago at the World Cup where she missed qualification in the round of 16 by nothing. Tunisia’s 100th goal in the African Cup, signed by Hamza Rafia against Mali (1-1), will remain the only goal scored by Jalel Kadri’s players during the tournament.
The Eagles offered Namibia its first victory (1-0) in the competition, and a distressing football spectacle, and the first scoreless match of the tournament, with Mali-Namibia at the same time. The announcement of Jalel Kadri’s departure came a few hours after that of another coach from a Maghreb country, Algerian Djamel Belmadi, whose team was also eliminated in the first round without having won a single match .