Sami Trabelsi, coach of the Tunisian national team, confirmed that his team's match against Mali today, Saturday, in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations represents a crucial turning point in the journey of the "Carthage Eagles" in the continental tournament.

Al-Tarabulsi said at the press conference held yesterday, Friday, to discuss the match against Mali: "The technical staff is not satisfied with the way the team appeared in the group stage," explaining that the performance was not entirely bad, but it did not reflect the team's true potential, especially in terms of exploiting spaces during the first three matches.

Al-Tarabulsi added: "In this match, we aim to show the true face of the team against a respectable opponent, and we don't have many options other than to secure a win. Matches of this kind are decided by small details and taking advantage of mistakes, especially when the game is tightly contested."

Al-Tarabulsi spoke about the defensive aspect, admitting that the system was not up to the usual standard compared to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. At the same time, he expressed hope that the team had learned from its past mistakes to deliver a balanced performance across all lines.