Tunisia booked their place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday evening with a 3-2 victory over Madagascar in a hard-fought Group A clash held at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Madagascar, known as Barea, started the game with high energy, pressing forward and putting the Tunisian defense under early pressure.
Despite their bright beginning, it was Tunisia who struck first. In the 6th minute, Hamza Rafia opened the scoring after pouncing on a loose ball just outside the penalty area.
Following a brilliant save by the Madagascar goalkeeper, Rafia positioned himself perfectly to collect the rebound and fired a precise shot to give Tunisia an early lead.
Madagascar found an equalizer in the 20th minute, capitalizing on a major misstep by Tunisian goalkeeper Amanallah Memmiche.
In a routine corner situation, Memmiche misjudged his catch, fumbling the ball and allowing it to slip into his own net, a costly error that brought the game level.
As the match progressed, the Eagles of Carthage began to dominate possession after the half-hour mark, pushing Madagascar back into a defensive stance.
Barea, however, remained a threat on the counter, looking to exploit gaps in Tunisia’s formation with their aggressive forward play.
Just before the halftime break, Tunisia regained their advantage. Sayfallah Ltaief scored in stunning style after a swift and accurate passing sequence dismantled the Madagascar defense.
Hazem Mestouri delivered a perfect through-ball to Ltaief, who beat the offside trap and coolly slotted the ball into the net with a clinical finish inside the 18-yard box.
Moments later, Madagascar responded once again with an equalizer. Jean-Pierre Morgan skillfully found Ibrahim Amada, who unleashed a left-footed strike from outside the box, slipping the ball past Memmiche at his near post.
Amada’s well-timed goal brought the teams level once again right at the stroke of halftime.
As the second half began, the tempo of the game slowed considerably, with both sides playing cautiously, prioritizing possession and patiently building from their defensive lines.
By the 70th minute, the teams seemed to be running low on ideas in attack, and as fatigue took hold, mistakes crept into both sides’ play.
Tunisia increased the intensity approaching the 80th minute, with most of the action concentrated in Madagascar’s half.
Madagascar, however, continued to pose a threat on the counter, seeking to exploit the space behind Tunisia’s defense.
Then came a crucial moment in the 89th minute when Tunisia’s Wajdi Kechrida was sent off with a red card, reducing the Eagles of Carthage to ten men.
Undeterred, Tunisia pushed forward, and in the 93rd minute, Ali Al-Abdi stepped up to seal the victory.
A rapid attack down the right flank saw Amor Layouni cause chaos in the Madagascar box, delivering a pinpoint cross.
Al-Abdi met the ball with a well-timed header from close range, guiding it past the Madagascar goalkeeper and securing Tunisia’s place in the upcoming tournament.
