Hannibal Mejbri: The Maestro Who Shook Brazil to Its Core

“It was a much tougher match than against Senegal; Tunisia defended with a very low block that didn’t suit our attackers,” Carlo Ancelotti remarked shortly after Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Tunisia on Tuesday evening at Pierre-Mauroy. His analysis highlighted the challenges faced by the Brazilian team against the determined Tunisian side. Falling behind and pressured throughout the match, the five-time world champions managed to equalize thanks to their star player, Estêvão, who once again shone in the Brazilian jersey.

However, the chants of “Olé” from the Tunisian-supporting crowd in the last quarter of the match were telling. Against Sami Trabelsi’s team, Ancelotti’s men displayed some concerning limitations. Central to this was Hannibal Mejbri, who played in midfield for this friendly. The Burnley midfielder reminded everyone of his exceptional talent. Despite a shaky start to the season with just one assist in 10 Premier League matches and only three starts, the Ivry-sur-Seine native, who assisted in the 3-2 win against Jordan last Friday, seized this international break to regain his form.

A Performance to Build On

In the match against Brazil, the Tunisian international, with 39 caps and one goal, quickly made an impact with his physicality. Unintimidated by the Casemiro-Guimaraes duo, the 1.83m right-footer distinguished himself with his authoritative tackles, technical accuracy, and effective positioning. Hannibal Mejbri symbolized the impressive resistance of the Eagles of Carthage. The result? A top-tier performance illustrated by the stats: 7 duels won, 4 recoveries, 100% tackle success rate, 5 fouls suffered, and significant overall impact.

In the mixed zone after the match, Naïm Sliti commended his fellow player, stating: “He had a great match tonight; I congratulated him at the end. He brings so much to our team and possesses great qualities. Being young, he needs to find consistency, but he is the future of this national team,” noted the former player for LOSC and Dijon. With the Africa Cup of Nations approaching and a World Cup set to take place in the US, the midfielder, who has played for Manchester United and Sevilla, will need to prove he can maintain such performances over time. Tunisia certainly hopes so.