Tunisia will play Namibia in the 10th round of the African World Cup qualifiers on Monday, October 13, at 15:00 Central European Time. Here’s a look at the match and expectations around goal scoring.
Tunisia
The Tunisian national team has established itself as a strong presence in Africa, demonstrating excellent skill in their qualification matches. They secured their spot in the World Cup early, showing consistent performances throughout the campaign. After nine matches, Tunisia leads the group with 25 points, having recorded eight wins and one draw, which was against Namibia, their next opponent.
Tunisia’s defense has been impressive, with no goals conceded so far in this qualifying round, while they have scored 19 times. The team remains unbeaten in five official matches, although they faced losses against Egypt and Morocco in friendly matches. In official games, however, they have shown considerable strength and confidence.
Another motivating factor for Tunisia is their previous home match against Namibia, where they faced an unexpected loss in the Africa Cup of Nations. This adds an interesting dynamic as they look to avenge that defeat.
Namibia
Namibia has had a commendable World Cup qualification campaign, though their hopes took a hit after a 1-3 loss to Liberia. They currently sit second in their group with 15 points, just ahead of Liberia. Even with a win in the last match, their chances of qualifying as one of the best runners-up seem slim, as they are currently ranked ninth.
The team has displayed determination and a proactive approach in matches. Namibia’s recent performances have included high scores, with their last four games featuring over 2.5 goals, and both teams scoring in two of those matches.
In their history against Tunisia, Namibia has struggled, recording one win and one draw in five matches while losing three. Still, they have avoided losses in their last two encounters with Tunisia.
Probable lineups
- Tunisia: Damen, Valery, Bronn, Talbi, Abdi, Sassi, Laidouni, Mejbri, Saad, Mastouri, Achouri.
- Namibia: Ndjiiro, Hanamub, Katua, Hambira, Kambiripa, Hotto, Petrus, Stephanus, Livi, Shalulile, Amutenya.
Key facts and head-to-head stats
- Tunisia has won 5 of their last 7 home matches.
- 11 of Tunisia’s last 12 home games have had under 2.5 goals.
- Namibia’s last 4 matches have featured over 2.5 goals.
Prediction for Tunisia vs Namibia
Tunisia has qualified for the World Cup and will play without pressure, aiming to keep their excellent defensive record intact. Namibia needs a win to maintain hopes of advancing, but it’s unlikely to be enough to qualify as one of the best runners-up. Previous encounters have mostly been low-scoring, with Tunisia not winning the last two matches. A tightly contested match is expected, favoring Tunisia or potentially ending in a draw. The prediction is under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.63.