Tunisia’s Command Performance Sends Strong World Cup Warning With 3-0 Dismantling of Namibia

A swelling chorus of cheers rolled through Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi on Monday as Tunisia, already perched atop Group H, reinforced their credentials as Africa’s form team with a clinical 3-0 victory over Namibia—a result that preserved their unbeaten run and cast a long shadow for rivals plotting a path to the 2026 World Cup.

This was not just another qualifying win for the Carthage Eagles. Against a Namibia side that entered the day clinging to second place and hoping to spring an upset, Tunisia delivered a performance brimming with composure, athleticism and, when the moments came, ruthless efficiency in front of goal.

The opening exchanges held the whiff of a contest. Namibia, stung by their recent loss to Liberia, arrived in Rades searching for foothold and pride, weathering early Tunisian pressure with a backline braced for waves of attack. Yet Tunisia, with fluency forged by consecutive victories that have seen them average over three goals per match in qualifying, soon found their rhythm.

The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute, the moment that punctured Namibia’s resolve. After a sustained spell of probing, left-back Ali Abdi surged into the box, drawing a clumsy challenge and the referee’s whistle. Abdi coolly converted from the penalty spot, sending the home crowd into rapture and the group leaders into a position of comfortable authority—a lead they never looked like relinquishing.

Namibia attempted a response, but their efforts foundered against Tunisia’s disciplined pressing and a midfield anchored by the ever-reliable Ferjani Sassi. The visitors labored to carve out opportunities, their set pieces easily claimed by a Tunisian defense that has not conceded at home through the campaign.

Tunisia’s grasp tightened in the second half. Hannibal Mejbri, the Manchester United product whose energy and vision have come to define this new-look side, doubled the advantage in the 55th minute. Ghosting into the box to meet a deft layoff, Mejbri’s finish was clinical—precisely the moment that deflated Namibian hopes. The third arrived barely nine minutes later: Ferjani Sassi found space on the edge of the area and unleashed a shot too precise for the outstretched arms of Lloyd Kazapua, who spent the day as Namibia’s busiest man.

Notably, the encounter was contested without the acrimony that sometimes mars high-stakes qualifiers. The referee maintained control, issuing only routine cautions, and both sides finished with eleven on the pitch.

Tunisia’s victory is not just a statement of their dominance in Group H—it is a warning to Africa’s best. The Carthage Eagles have now recorded emphatic back-to-back wins, crushing Sao Tome and Principe 6-0 just three days prior and shutting out Liberia and Equatorial Guinea in preceding matches. This string of results has seen their goal difference swell and their grip on first place tighten, rendering the rest of the group little more than spectators to their procession.

For Namibia, already battered by a 3-1 defeat to Liberia on October 9 and an earlier home loss to Malawi, the result underscores the gap between themselves and Africa’s elite. Their best moments came in flashes, but the lack of cutting edge in the final third haunted Collin Benjamin’s side, who remain second in Group H but now face deepening questions about their ability to hold that position with the qualifying campaign entering its decisive phase.

There is history between these nations, though not a decorated one. Previous meetings have tended to end in Tunisia’s favor, evidence of a gulf in experience and cohesion that was on stark display once more.

The road ahead diverges sharply. Tunisia’s gaze is firmly fixed on the World Cup, their status as group leaders now nearly unassailable, and momentum pulsing through a squad brimming with attacking options and defensive assurance. Each success only strengthens a collective belief that 2026 in North America need not be a distant dream.

Namibia, meanwhile, nurse battered confidence but cling to mathematical hope. With Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea still left to play, the Brave Warriors must rediscover their spark—and soon—if ambitions of a maiden World Cup appearance are to last beyond this autumn.

On this evidence, Tunisia look every inch a contender—muscular, inventive, and, crucially, unyielding when it matters most. For the rest of Africa, the message from Rades was unmistakable: the Carthage Eagles are soaring, and the sky may be their only limit.