European players who have switched their nationality to play for Tunisia – 2022 World Cup

Tunisia are aware they will have to tighten up their squad to make a meaningful impact at this year’s World Cup in Qatar, especially with the Group they find themselves in. They will compete with defending champions France, Denmark and Australia in Group D.

Looking at the task ahead in Qatar, the Carthage Eagles will require a bit more talent and quality to augment the squad before the Mundial starts in November. 

Tunisia head coach, Jalel Kadri handed an invitation to Sweden-born defender RAMI KAIB who plays his club football in the Netherlands for SC Heerenveen. 

Born in Sweden, Kaib has a Tunisian father and a Lebanese mother. Having represented Sweden at the U19 level and, despite being eligible also to represent Tunisia and Lebanon, he had stated that he had “ambitions to play for the Swedish national team”, and that he had no intention of representing Lebanon.

However, in May 2022 the Tunisian Football Federation announced that Kaib had signed documents to switch allegiance to represent Tunisia internationally at the senior level.

Kaib was included in Tunisia’s squad for the 2022 Kirin Soccer Cup four-nation tournament which was held in Japan where he played against Chile and Japan respectively.

Another Sweden-born talent in ADAM BEN LAMIN has also switched nationality to represent Tunisia having already played for the U16 and U17 teams of his native country. 

The 21-year-old central defender changed his international future much earlier as he decided to play for Tunisia at the U20 level, making his debut in February 2021.

Ben Lamin played every minute for the North Africans at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Mauritania where he had an impressive outing to help Tunisia finish at the 4th place.

He got his senior call-up in June 2021 but he wasn’t used in any match since then until June 2022 where he made his first bow for the Carthage Eagles in the 2022 Kirin Soccer Cup tournament in Japan.

Teenager HANNIBAL MEJBRI is one player expected to make Tunisia’s final squad list for this year’s World Cup in Qatar after switching international allegiance from France, where he was born and represented them at the U16 and U17 teams where he made 12 appearances altogether. 

Eligible to represent Tunisia through his parents, with his father, Lotfi, reportedly having played in Tunisia, Mejbri was called up to the Tunisia national team for the first time in May 2021, committing his international future to the nation of his parents’ birth.

The Manchester United youngster debuted in a 1–0 international friendly win over DR Congo on June 5, 2021.

Mejbri featured for the Carthage Eagles at the 2021 Arab Cup hosted by Qatar last year.

He was also named in the final list for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and also played a game in the World Cup qualifications.