Yohan Benalouane Reveals Tunisia’s World Cup Dream

Tunisia defender Yohan Benalouane has set his sights on knockout stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Carthage Eagles will be participating in the quadrennial showpiece for the fifth time, since their debut appearance in Argentina 1978 but have never gone past the group stages of the competition.

And the Leicester City player has stated that the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations champions will aim for the best in Russia despite being pitched against England, Panama and Belgium in Group E.

“The first objective is to get through the first round as it would be amazing for our country. To have a good World Cup with all my team-mates will be a good thing,” Benalouane told the club’s website.

“For me, it was a big emotion (to play for Tunisia), because to go on the pitch with the shirt of your country, it’s always something special. I hope we can do something good for the World Cup.”

The North Africans will open their World Cup campaign against England on June 18 and this will provide a chance for Benalouane to face his Leicester teammates Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy in the opener.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Obviously, it will be a good game and it’s always a pleasure to meet other people from my team in the World Cup. It will be a big challenge for us,”[/perfectpullquote]

he added.

“Vards (Jamie Vardy) is always difficult, because he is an electric man. He is a very good striker, he has top quality, he scores a lot.

“We have to be focused, because we know his quality. I hope, for him, that he has a good World Cup, but not against Tunisia.

Tunisia will expect to brush aside Panama and will then aim to humiliate either England and Belgium to make it through in second place.

That would see them face the winner of an even-looking Group H, which consists of Colombia, Poland, Senegal and Japan, in the second round.

Germany would then be the likely opponents in the quarter-final before a semi against giants Argentina or Spain.