Tunisia – Saudi Arabia

1. Following Ukraine's annhiliation at the hands of Spain this afternoon, both sides here will be aware of the importance of gaining all three points in Munich.

2. If Roger Le Merre's Tunisia should score a solitary goal today then they will already have done better than the last team he took to the World Cup. He was in charge during France's humiliating campaign in the last World Cup.

3. Saudi Arabia should present his side with a stern test and were able to beat South Korea home and away in their qualifying group. Their defender Mohammed Al-Montashari was 2005 Asian player of the year and Nawaf Al-Ternyat is another amongst their ranks to have held that title previously.

4. In the absence of Brazilian born forward Santos the Tunisians will be looking for his stike partner Jaziri to improve on his strike rate of one goal in four for the national team, whilst the Ajax right-back Trabelsi and Rangers midfielder Namouchi should provide some much needed experience for the Africans.

5. The Saudis are without record capped goalkeeper Al Daeyea (178 caps so far). His place is taken by Mabrouk Zaid.

6. It's another warm evening in Germany which should not affect these two teams as badly as others. The Saudis kick off attacking the goal to the left.

7. 1'

   Trabelsi of Ajax attempts a foraging run up the right flank but is pressed back and Tunisia get a throw.

8. 2'

   Tunisia have a shout for a penalty waved away. Jaziri makes a good strong run in to the penalty area and is brought down but the referee decides he fell too easily.

9. 3'

   On the other side of the penalty area this time Jaziri takes a long ball well but is crowded out and goes over a little theatrically.

10. 4'

    Saudi Arabia come up the park and knock the ball around before a terrible pass back towards the defence gives Tunisia a throw-in.

11. 5'

    Another poor pass sees the ball go back out again and this time the Saudis benefit from the mistake.

12. 6'

    Sulimani chips a nice ball up towards his strikers but the Tunisian defence head the ball to safety.

13. 7'

    Jemmali plays a good ball to Chikhaoui before getting it back on the flank and seeing his cross blocked. The moment passes when they are blown up for offside.

14. 8'

    Chedli overlaps Jemmali on the flank and hits a great looping ball over which the Saudis knock behind for a corner.

15. 9'

    The corner is good and finds the rising figure of Haqqui who can't quite direct his header anywhere other than the ground.

16. 10'

    The Saudis now have a throw and manage to get the ball in to the Tunisian penalty area, causing Boumnijel a bit of concern in goal. The Tunisians manage to deal with the danger and clear the ball away.

17. 11'

    Long ball from the back by Tukar goes harmlessly in to the arms of Boumnijel.

18. 12'

    Namouchi is penalised in the middle of the park for a foul and the Saudis take the free-kick quickly before penetrating down the left through Dokhi who winns a throw.

19. 13'

    The Saudis are in no hurry to leave the Tunisian half and have been awarded a free-kick about forty yards from goal.

20. 14'

    The free-kick is played to Al Temyat and his shot is deflected for a corner.

21. 15'

    A good corner to the near post is punched clear by Boumnijel but Saudi Arabia have another corner.

22. 16'

    Al Temyat takes it short but the Tunisians are able to push up and win the ball back.

23. 18'

    Noor has won a free-kick on the left wing after being fouled. Six Saudi men are in the penalty area but the free-kick in finds a white shirt and Tunisia break. Namouchi goes down and claims he was fouled but the referee quite rightly ignores his protestations.

24. 20'

    Saudi Arabia attack through Noor who feeds Dokhi but Noor is unable to get to his return pass in time. Goal kick to Tunisia.

25. 22'

    Free-kick to Tunisia about forty five yards from the Saudi goal.

26. 23'

    GOAL

27. 23'

    An in-swinging free-kick is not cleared well by the Saudis and Jaziri meets it well from eight yards out to volley the ball home. A fine finish but some poor defending from Saudi Arabia presented the striker with the opportunity.

28. 24'

    A nice passage of play from the Saudis is broken down by Tunisia and Jaziri goes down a bit too easily when he should have stayed on his feet.

29. 26'

    Tunisia appear comfortably on top here and Saudi Arabia may have to dig deep to get back in to this.

30. 28'

    Free-kick to the Saudis at the halfway line and they attempt to break down the right. No way through there so they switch play to the left to Sumimani but Trabelsi is fouled and the free-kick goes to Tunisia

31. 30'

    Tunisia have good movement from their two strikers up front but the Saudis are playing with one man on his own which is limiting their attacking options.

32. 31'

    Boumnijel has to come to claim an awkward spinning high ball.

33. 32'

    Whatever fate befells this Saudi team they are unlikely to repeat the ignominy of their last World Cup when Germany put eight past them.

34. 33'

    A long ball in to the Tunisia area sees Ghamdi try to connect with his head but he has the figure of Namouchi blocking his path and can't quite stretch to reach it.

35. 34'

    Haggui is booked for grabbing Al Temyat's shirt. Free-kick to Saudi Arabia.

36. 35'

    It is played short to Tukar who strikes it against the wall one of whom, Bouzazi is booked for encroaching.

37. 36'

    Tukar re-takes the free-kick and hits a decent curling effort over the wall which Boumnijel has to scamper over to get down to. Not a bad effort.

38. 37'

    Now Tunisia have a free-kick which is played in and is headed away by Tukar for a corner.

39. 38'

    Zaid comes for the ball and misses it but the Sauids are able to clear the ball away.

40. 39'

    Tunisia pressurise again and keep possession well as the Saudis harangue them for the ball. The Africans look far more composed on the ball

41. 40'

    A potential Saudi break is broken up by the flailing leg of Jemmali, who catches Ghamdi, but the Saudis are unable to build anything from the resultant free-kick.

42. 41'

    Al Temyat now is fouled by Haggui and the Tunisian needs to be careful as he has been booked.

43. 43'

    Trabelsi concedes a free-kick for a blatant obstruction and is lucky to not be shown a card.

44. 44'

    A long ball from the back is not controlled well by Tunisa's defence. Saudi Arabia win back the ball and it is laid back to Al Temyat who hits a speculative forty yard effort well wide.

45. 45'

    Noor takes on Jemmali and wins his side a free-kick on the right wing. Surely the last piece of play of the half.

46. 45'

    HALF TIME

47. 45'

    Strangely, the Saudis were in no rush to take their free-kick and the referee has blown for half-time before they bothered to ready themselves. A pretty tame (nay, dull) forty-five minutes and it would seem likely that we are about to witness yet another Saudi defeat at the World Cup.

48. 45'

    Ooh, there's a man on the pitch. Well there's twenty three of them but one shouldn't be there. He is gone now and the second half gets underway.

49. 46'

    The Saudis then hit a long ball up towards Noor who makes a terrible contact with the ball when he was one on one with the keeper. He should have scored and Tunisia had a let-off there.

50. 47'

    Namouchi plays a nice low angled ball through the Saudi defence towards Jaziri but it is just too far ahead of the goalscorer.

51. 48'

    Dokhi has to scamper back to clear the ball away from the onrushing figure of Jaziri. The Saudis will be pleased to see the ball wail in to the stands.

52. 49'

    A fine cross-field pass from Namouchi to Chedli is well controlled but Chedli's cross is poor and the Saudis have time to get rid of the ball.

53. 50'

    A handball decision is given against Tunisian skipper Sulimani. The free-kick is thirty yards from his goal.

54. 51'

    Al Temyat has another go but his effort is always going wide of Boumnijel's post.

55. 52'

    Sulimani hits a fine ball up to Noor but he is well tackled and Tunisia manage to prevent the opening appearing.

56. 53'

    Bouazizi is being substituted and Mehdi Nafti will replace him in midfield.

57. 55'

    Saudi Arabia are getting ready to bring on another striker.

58. 56'

    GOAL

59. 56'

    The equaliser and a fine bit of teamwork from the Saudis. A long pass down the right is well collected by Noor and he squares it back to Al Kahtani who, from six yards, fires it high in to the Tunisian goal. Game on.

60. 57'

    Tunisia have a corner but Noor gets back to head the ball away. He is getting around the pitch well today.

61. 58'

    That was Al Kahtani's thirty third goal for his country.

62. 60'

    The Saudis seem emboldened by that goal and are pressing the Tunisians back. The loss of their captain and that goal seems to have rattled the Africans a little.

63. 61'

    Al Temyat tries another long range effort but it drifts wide.

64. 62'

    A lovely move from the Saudis sees Noor produce a great dummy before Sulimani hits a twenty yard effort which goes close. The Saudis are looking more likely to score now.

65. 65'

    Tunisia look so much less composed than they did in the first half. The Saudis have a free-kick after a foul out on the left.

66. 66'

    Al Temyat is being taken off and replaced by Malek Mouath.

67. 68'

    Substitution for Tunisia and Chedli is replaced by Kaies Ghodhbane.

68. 69'

    Chedli does not look happy to have been taken off but having already been booked it may have been a prudent decision from Le Merre.

69. 70'

    Namouchi hits a twenty-five yard shot which looks like the effort of a man who has played only seven games this season. In the Scottish league.

70. 71'

    Nice inter-play between Namouchi and Chikhaoui on the edge of the Saudi box but they are unable to get the ball back in a shooting position. Sauid Arabia clear the ball.

71. 72'

    Zaid is down injured. Are we about to see the entrance of the nearly-two-hundred-capped Al Daeyea? The most capped player in the world is also the unwelcome owner of the title 'man still playing who has conceded most World Cup goals' (twenty-five and counting).

72. 73'

    Noor is now off and replaced by stiker Mohammed Ameen.

73. 75'

    The Saudis are going for broke now and are playing with three up front. They smell blood but will it leave them exposed?

74. 76'

    Ghodbane hits a pass up to Jaziri with too much force and the striker is unable to control it in a promising position.

75. 77'

    Tunisia try to attack down the left but are thwarted by the Saudi defence. When they get it back up the park Chikhaoui is shown a yellow card for a shocking tackle on Mouath who was in on goal.

76. 78'

    The free-kick is hit straight at the Tunisian wall from forty yards out.

77. 80'

    Sami al Jaber, once of Wolves, is about to come on.

78. 81'

    Al Kahtani is replaced by Al Jaber.

79. 82'

    For Tunisia Essedir is is on for Chikhaoui.

80. 83'

    GOAL

81. 83'

    Ninety seconds after coming on Al Jaber has scored what is surely the winner. The best player Saudi has ever produced was played in with only the keeper to beat after a move from defence and he managed to slot the ball past the oncoming keeper. That is his third World Cup goal and should seal the win for his team.

82. 85'

    Zaid comes out bravely to take the ball from a Tunisan cross from the right.

83. 86'

    Ghodbane has hit a great strike from thirty yards out after the ball broke to him. Tunisia are running out of time to steal something from a game they looked to be controlling in the first half.

84. 87'

    Trabelsi hits a high and hopeful crossfield ball but Zaid comes well to intercept it.

85. 90'

    Four minutes of added time to be played.

86. 90'

    A free-kick from an acute angle is deflected from the Tunisian wall slightly before clipping the post and going out for a corner.

87. 90'

    Saudi Arabia eventually have a free-kick but the ball that comes in is well dealt with by Tunisia and they try to break.

88. 90'

    GOAL

89. 90'

    Jaidi has equalised at the death. Some poor defending from the Saudis who don't clear in time allows Jaziri to sneak behind them and hit a ball over to the tall figure of Jaidi who heads home from six yards. Great stuff.

90. 90'

    FULL TIME

91. 90'

    A cracking end to the game sees the spoils shared and the Ukraine breathe a sigh of relief. A draw was possibly the fairest result as Tunisia could lay claim to being the better side in the opening period whilst Saudi Arabia shaded it in the second half. The Saudis will be berating themselves for conceding so late on though. Both sides now know that realistically they will have to beat Ukraine to progress to the next stage.

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