Ali Al-Kaabi’s name will remain immortal in the history of Tunisian football, as he was the first player from the Carthage Eagles to score a goal in the history of the World Cup tournaments.
The flying left back scored the equalizer during Tunisia’s match against Mexico in the “Argentina 1978” World Cup finals, which the “Carthage Eagles” won 3-1.
Ali Al-Kaabi spent his entire football career with the Olympic Transport Club, and he also played 72 matches with Tunisia national team In various competitions, he scored 9 goals.
The attacking defender then entered the world of training, to supervise the training of several local teams, and he also had several experiences with the Tunisian national teams.
In an exclusive interview with Al Ain Sports, Al Kaabi talked about his memories of the 1978 World Cup, his historic goal against Mexico, and revealed the fortunes of the Tunisian national team during the current edition of the World Cup.
Ali Al-Kaabi also expressed his optimism about the ability of the Arab teams to steal the spotlight in the most prominent competition in the world, and he also revealed his candidate to win the title. World Cup “Qatar 2022”.
Tunisia’s golden generation
Ali Al-Kaabi praised the golden generation that represented the Tunisian national team during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, which achieved impressive results, including a victory over Mexico and a draw with Germany.
The former star of “Carthage Eagles” said, “We had a very strong team, thanks to the presence of players of extraordinary levels, such as Tariq Diab, Tamim Al-Hazami, Hammadi Al-Aqrabi and others.”
He continued, “All the players were able to make the difference thanks to their high technical potential and tactical culture ahead of their time.”
And he continued, “Our victory against Mexico was historic because it forced the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) to grant a second card to Africa in the World Cup, starting from the 1982 edition.”
He added, “It is true that I scored the first goal in the history of Tunisian football during the World Cup, but what I am most proud of is the honor of Arab and African football in this global forum.”
He concluded, “It was not easy for the Tunisian national team to present very strong levels in the World Cup in Argentina, especially since it lacked high levels of experience.”
Tunisia national team.. Hope exists
Regarding the chances of the “Carthage Eagles” in the World Cup “Qatar 2022”, Ali Al-Kaabi said: “The hope of qualifying for the second round exists, although the task will not be easy in light of the presence of strong competition from ancient teams such as Denmark and France.”
And the former flying full-back for the Olympic transportation team continued: “The key to candidacy inevitably passes through achieving a positive result during the first round match against Denmark.”
And he continued: “The current generation includes several players who are able to make a difference, such as Youssef Al-Masakni and Wahbi Al-Khazri, along with a strong midfield in the presence of Issa Al-Aydouni and Elias Al-Sakhiri.”
He concluded, “The method of play that we will adopt in the World Cup is not important as long as the players show high spirits and absolute tactical discipline.”
Ample Arab fortunes in the Qatar World Cup
In answer to a question asked about the chances of the Arab teams during the Qatar World Cup 2022 competitions, Al-Kaabi said: “All Arab teams have ample chances and are able to achieve the dream of running for the second round of the competition.”
And he continued: “The Saudi national team includes several distinguished players in its ranks, and it also has great experience by virtue of its previous participation in several versions of the World Cup.. and the national teams of Morocco and Tunisia have previously proven their presence in the competition and they can go far in the Qatar World Cup 2022.”
He concluded, “The Qatar national team is ambitious, and it is capable of creating a surprise, especially since it has prepared itself for the competition as best as it can.”
Brazil is not the strongest
Ali Al-Kaabi refused to go along with many observers who nominated the Brazil national team to win the current version of the World Cup finals, and said regarding this matter: “Brazil is not the strongest among the teams participating in the global competition.”
And he continued, “It is true that he left good impressions in recent months and showed terrible offensive strength, but I think he has several weaknesses that will become evident when he meets first-class teams.”
He concluded, “I nominate France, Belgium and Argentina to win the 2022 Qatar World Cup title.”
