Team: Tunisia

Little to offer on world stage

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Coach: Roger Lemerre
Captain: Riadh Bouazizi
Winners: Never - have yet to progress from the group stages
Pitted against: Spain, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine
Prospects: Spain and Ukraine should take the top spots in Group H, leaving Tunisia out in the cold once more
Odds: 300-1

This will be Tunisia's fourth appearance at the finals but, despite coming to prominence as an African Cup of Nations force, Roger Lemerre's side have had little or nothing to boast about on the world stage, writes Paul O'Hehir

In 1978, at their very first finals, Tunisia stunned Mexico with a 3-1 victory in Argentina. That, however, remains their only World Cup success with subsequent campaigns in 1998 and 2002 petering out with a dull thud.

Nevertheless, Tunisia travel to Germany in hope and are confident the impressive form they've shown on their own continent will hold them in good stead as they set about tackling Spain, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

Lemerre was hailed the saviour of Tunisian football after their 2004 African Cup of Nations triumph. His side maintained that form and qualified comfortably for Germany, losing just one game and pipping North African rivals Morocco to the coveted top spot. Also, their spirited Confederations Cup showing in Germany last year augers well for the campaign ahead.

In Lemerre, Tunisia have bagged themselves an astute coach with an in-depth know-how of tournament competition. When manager of France, he won Euro 2000 and then the Confederations Cup the following year. However, as time went on his relationship with the French press and a number of key players waned.

Indeed, the writing was on the wall and his tenure with Les Blues ended spectacularly when France failed to score a goal, let alone win a game, in the group stages of World Cup 2002. But now adored in his adopted homeland, Lemerre has amalgamated a young squad containing some of the more promising prospects in Africa and can set about his task without the pressures of previous days.

In striker Haykel Guemamdia, Lemerre possesses one of the finest emerging strikers on the African continent. He's lightening quick, strong in the air and is comfortably shooting with either foot. Despite having only made his debut a year ago, Guemamdia proved a key figure for Tunisia at the Confederations Cup and will look to repeat that form on the bigger stage this summer.

World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Ali Boumnijel (Club Africain), Hamdi Kasraoui (Esperance), Adel Nefzi (US Monastir).
Defenders: Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax Amsterdam), Anis Ayari (Samsunspor), Karim Saidi (Lecce), Alaeddine Yahia (St Etienne), Radhi Jaidi (Bolton Wanderers), Karim Hagui (Racing Strasbourg), David Jemmali (Girondins Bordeaux), Mehdi Meryeh (Etoile Etoile)
Midfielders: Mehdi Nafti (Birmingham City), Adel Chedli (FC Nuremberg), Kais Ghodhbane (Konyaspor), Karim Essediri (Rosenborg), Joahar Mnari (FC Nuremberg), Riadh Bouazizi (Erciyespor), Hamed Namouchi (Glasgow Rangers)
Forwards: Yassine Chikhaoui (Etoile Etoile), Ziad Jaziri (Troyes), Sofiane Militi (Gaziantepspor), Issam Jomaa (Racing Lens), Francileudo dos Santos (Toulouse)