Al-Ittihad's Ahmed Akaichi was one of six players left out of Nabil Maaloul's squad when the Tunisia coach whittled down his provisional list to 23 for the World Cup.
Akaichi, 29, has won 19 caps for his country but he last started a game in March last year and has played only three minutes of the last nine matches.
"Good luck to my friends in the World Cup in Russia... Long live Tunisia!" Akaichi wrote on his Facebook page.
In addition to Akaichi and goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia, of Esperance, Maaloul omitted Khalil Chammam of Esperance, Bilel Mohsni who plays for Dundee United in Scotland, Karim Laribi of Cesena in Italy and Mohamed Larbi of Tours in France.
Four players based in Saudi Arabia have made the squad, however. Al-Batin's Aymen al-Mathlouthi is one of three goalkeepers; Mohamed Amine Ben Amore, who finished runners in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli, is among the midfielders along with Al-Nassr's Ferjani Sassi while Al-Ettifaq's Fakheredine Ben Youssef provides one of six options in attack.
Tunisia's football federation announced the squad a day after the team drew 2-2 in a friendly against Turkey, with goals from Anice Badri and Ferjani Sassi. That is now nine matches unbeaten for Tunisia and the last time they tasted defeat was in March last year.
Tunisia are in Group G in Russia play England June 18, Belgium June 23 and Panama June 28.
The team will play a final warm-up match on June 9 against Spain, the 2010 world champions.
The star of the Tunisian team, Youssef Msakni, will miss the World Cup due to knee an injury sustained in a league match for Qatari club Al-Duhail.
The 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Aymen al-Mathlouthi (Al-Batin/KSA), Mouez Hassen (Chateauroux/FRA), Farouk Ben Mustapha (Al-Shabab/KSA)
Defenders: Nagguez Hamdi(Zamalek/EGY), Dylan Bronn (Gent/BEL), Rami Bedoui (Etoile du Sahel), Yohan Benalouane(Leicester/ENG), Syam Ben Youssef (Kasimpasa/TUR), Yassine Meriah (CS Sfaxien), Oussama Haddadi (Dijon/FRA), Ali Maaloul (Al-Ahly/EGY)
Midfielders: Ellyes Skhiri (Montpellier/FRA), Mohamed Amine Ben Amore (Al-Ahli/KSA), Ghaylene Chaalali (Esperance), Ferjani Sassi (Al-Nassr/KSA), Ahmed Khalil (Club Africain), Saifeddine El Khaoui (Troyes/FRA)
Strikers: Fakheredine Ben Youssef (Al-Ettifaq/KSA), Anice Badri (Esperance), Bassem Srarfi (Nice/FRA), Wahbi Khazri (Rennes/FRA), Naim Sliti (Dijon/FRA), Saber Khalifa (Club Africain)
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Saudi Arabia-based striker left out of Tunisia World Cup squad
Saudi Arabia-based striker left out of Tunisia World Cup squad
- Al-Ittihad's Ahmed Akaichi will not be going to Russia
- But four other Saudi-based players are in the 23-man party
Brendan Rodgers joins Saudi club Al Qadsiah
- Former Celtic and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has joined Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah as head coach, seven weeks after resigning his job at the struggling Scottish outfit
RIYADH: Former Celtic and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has joined Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah as head coach, seven weeks after resigning his job at the struggling Scottish outfit.
Rodgers, 52, left Celtic in acrimonious circumstances in late October after criticizing the Hoops board and hitting out at their transfer market signings, leading the club’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond to describe him as “divisive, misleading and self-serving.”
Al Qadsiah, owned by Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco, are currently fifth in the Saudi league and sacked head coach Michel Gonzalez on Sunday.
Northern Irishman Rodgers was recruited by the former CEO of Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers, James Bisgrove, who now holds the same role at Al Qadsiah.
Bisgrove described Rodgers’ arrival as a “landmark moment for the club.”
Rodgers will be in place for the January transfer window when the club is expected to seek to strengthen their squad.
Italy international Mateo Retegui and former Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez are currently the biggest names in their ranks.
Rodgers led Liverpool to a runner-up finish in the Premier League in the 2013-2014 season and won the FA Cup with Leicester in 2021.
In two spells at Celtic he won the league four times, the Scottish Cup on three occasions and the League Cup four times.
Former manager Martin O’Neill steadied the ship at Celtic on an interim basis following the departure of Rodgers, but new French coach Wilfried Nancy has lost his first three matches.
Rodgers, 52, left Celtic in acrimonious circumstances in late October after criticizing the Hoops board and hitting out at their transfer market signings, leading the club’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond to describe him as “divisive, misleading and self-serving.”
Al Qadsiah, owned by Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco, are currently fifth in the Saudi league and sacked head coach Michel Gonzalez on Sunday.
Northern Irishman Rodgers was recruited by the former CEO of Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers, James Bisgrove, who now holds the same role at Al Qadsiah.
Bisgrove described Rodgers’ arrival as a “landmark moment for the club.”
Rodgers will be in place for the January transfer window when the club is expected to seek to strengthen their squad.
Italy international Mateo Retegui and former Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez are currently the biggest names in their ranks.
Rodgers led Liverpool to a runner-up finish in the Premier League in the 2013-2014 season and won the FA Cup with Leicester in 2021.
In two spells at Celtic he won the league four times, the Scottish Cup on three occasions and the League Cup four times.
Former manager Martin O’Neill steadied the ship at Celtic on an interim basis following the departure of Rodgers, but new French coach Wilfried Nancy has lost his first three matches.
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