Manchester United attacking midfielder Hannibal Mejbri is absent from the final list of Tunisian players who will play in the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11, 2024, unveiled Thursday by coach Jalel Kadri.
Aged 20 and returning from loan from Birmingham last summer, Mejbri has only played nine matches in all competitions since the start of the season (one goal, no assist) under the leadership of Erik ten Hag.
“Hannibal told me that he did not feel ready for the CAN because he is going through a difficult situation at the club,” explained Jalel Kadri at a press conference, about the man who has 27 caps with the Carthage Eagles.
Montpellier’s Wahbi Khazri (74 caps, 25 goals) will also not play in the CAN after announcing his international retirement in December 2022.
Tunisia has won the event only once, in 2004 at home.
Tunisian players selected for the CAN:
Goalkeepers (3): Aymen Dahmen (Al-Hazem/KSA), Mouez Hassen (Club Africain), Béchir Ben Said (US Monastir)
Defenders: (9) Ali Abdi (Caen/FRA/L2), Ali Maaloul (Al-Ahly/EGY), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos Athens/GRE), Yassine Meriah (Hope), Montassar Talbi (FC Lorient/FRA), Hamza Jelassi (Star of the Sahel), Yan Valery (Angers SCO/FRA/L2), Oussama Haddadi (SpVgg Fürth/GER/D2), Alaa Ghram (Sfaxien Sports Club).
Milieux (7): Elyes Skhiri (FC Cologne/GER), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Ferencvaros/HUN), Aïssa Laïdouni (Union Berlin/GER), Houssem Teka (Espérance Tunis), Hamza Rafia (US Lecce/ITA), Mohamed Haj Mahmoud (FC Lugano), Anis Ben Slimane (Brøndby/DEN)
Attackers (8): Youssef Msakni (Al-Arabi SC/QAT), Naïm Sliti (Al-Ahli/QAT), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Kuwait SC/KUW), Haythem Jouini (Stade tunisien), Seifallah Letaief (FC Winterthur/SUI ), Bassem Serarfi (Club Africain), Elias Achouri (FC Copenhague/DEN), Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa SK/TUR)
