If the King’s Shields of Swaziland have anything to be wary of against Tunisia, then it has to be a certain Jasser Khemiri.
The profligacy with Swaziland’s attack in front of goal is a concern for gaffer Hendrik Pieter de Jongh. Two goals managed by the South African nation since 2016 out of nine games played between then and now, is even more worrying and the task is expected to turn herculean with a young Jasser an option at the back for Tunisia.
He was one of few positives in an otherwise abysmal campaign endured by Stade Tunisien even though they managed to beat clutches of relegation by a flicker.
Club Tunisien let in thirty-six (36) goals in twenty-six (26) run of domestic outings and a young Jasser has everything to do with his struggling side’s dramatic escape of the playoffs after months of flirting with relegation.
The 20-year-old centre-back’s fast-tracking to Stade Tunisien’s first team was no longer a matter of if rather one of when in the summer of 2017. His maturity in the game belies his age. He exudes the kind of composure oozed only by players of high caliber.
A towering figure but not spaghetti-legged, Khemiri is a natural winner of aerial duels.
Six of the goals he’d scored the previous term have come through headers, mostly diving spectacular ones.
Capable of also fielding as a defensive midfielder, he has a no-nonsense approach to show-boating, a trait Swaziland strikers would care to look out for when coming up against the erstwhile Tunisian U-20 international.
Getting hurried to the Carthage Eagles’ set up is evidence of his enormous potential. Gaffer Fouazi Benzarti’s trust in this budding talent shouldn’t be a source of surprise should Jasser get the nod ahead of the squad’s most experienced stars.
Hoping to break ground in an outfit littered with high profile teammates, his versatility merely ups his chance of starting.
Aggressiveness is not a feature akin with the North African game but this youngster provides that in abundance, giving the Tunisian national team just the required balance to the equation ahead of the Swaziland encounter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9HQk6qz_LM
