Eagles set to soar

Piers Edwards
BBC Sport, Leipzig

Hammouda Ben Ammar is confident about Tunisia's prospects

The head of Tunisian football Hammouda Ben Ammar believes the Carthage Eagles have "every chance of qualifying" from their World Cup group.

The African champions were paired in Group H with Spain, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia in Friday night's draw in Leipzig.

"It's going to be very difficult to get through but we have a group where all the four teams have a chance," Ben Ammar, president of the Tunisia Football Federation, told BBC Sport.

"Spain is a great footballing nation while Ukraine - with players such as Andriy Shevchenko - are not easy to play against, and Saudi Arabia are at their third finals.

The first match of the tournament is always very important and there is no room for error Hammouda Ben Ammar

"We think we can qualify but we have to take our chances and we'll try to prepare well so that we can reach the second round."

In 1978, Tunisia became the first African nation to win a match at the World Cup when they beat Mexico 3-1 in their first ever finals match.

Yet that was the last World Cup game the Carthage Eagles won, and they scored just two goals in the six matches they contested in the 1998 and 2002 finals.

Ben Ammar believes that a third straight World Cup appearance will help the Tunisians pursue their target of reaching the second round for the first time ever.

And he also says that the belief gained from winning the Nations Cup for the first time last year will greatly benefit Tunisia's performances in Germany next June.

"I think that the last times Tunisia played in the World Cup, we came just to put in a good performance but now our purpose is to reach the second round.

"You may have noticed that Tunisia performed well in the Confederations Cup against Argentina and Germany and we are going to enter next year's World Cup with a new spirit and no complex. "

Tunisia open their Group H campaign against Saudi Arabia on 14 June in Munich and Ben Ammar says the opening match is crucial to the Carthage Eagles' chances of progressing in the tournament.

"The Saudis are an Arab country like us and we have a really friendly relationship with them but once you are in the game, each one is playing to win," he said.

"The first match of the tournament is always very important and there is no room for error."

Tunisia face Spain in Stuttgart on 19 June before finishing their group campaign against Ukraine in the capital Berlin on 23 June.

"Ukraine have some very dangerous players and I am not just talking about Shevchenko. If we prepare well, we have a chance."