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Tunisia men's national handball team
Handball team representing Tunisia
Handball team representing Tunisia
| Field | Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Tunisia | ||||
| Badge | Fédération tunisienne de handball Logo.png | ||||
| Badge_size | 180px | ||||
| Nickname | نسور قرطاج | ||||
| (Eagles of Carthage) | |||||
| Association | Tunisian Handball Federation | ||||
| Coach | Mohamed Ali Sghir | ||||
| Assistant coach | Mohamed Boughzala | ||||
| Most caps | Issam Tej (316) | ||||
| Most goals | Oussama Boughanmi (865) | ||||
| pattern_la1 | _redborder | pattern_b1=_thinredsides | pattern_ra1=_redborder | pattern_sh1=_redsides | |
| leftarm1 | FFFFFF | body1=FFFFFF | rightarm1=FFFFFF | shorts1=FFFFFF | pattern_sh2 =_whitesides |
| pattern_la2 | _whiteborder | pattern_b2=_thinwhitesides | pattern_ra2=_whiteborder | ||
| leftarm2 | FF0000 | body2=FF0000 | rightarm2=FF0000 | shorts2=FF0000 | |
| Summer Olympics apps | 4 | ||||
| Summer Olympics first | 1972 | ||||
| Summer Olympics best | 8th (2012) | ||||
| World cup apps | 17 | ||||
| World cup first | 1967 | ||||
| World cup best | 4th (2005) | ||||
| Regional name | African Championship | ||||
| Regional cup apps | 27 | ||||
| Regional cup first | 1974 | ||||
| Regional cup best | 1st (1974, 1976, 1979, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2018) |
the men's team
(Eagles of Carthage) The Tunisia men's national handball team, (), nicknamed Eagles of Carthage, is the national handball team of Tunisia. It is controlled by the Tunisian Handball Federation (THF) and takes part in international handball competitions. The Tunisian Handball League was created in 1953. In 1957, the Tunisian Handball Federation was founded and then admitted to the International Handball Federation in 1962.
The Tunisian national team participates in several world championships. In 2005 World Championship, Tunisia finished fourth, becoming the second non-European team to reach the semi-finals of the world championship after Egypt, which reached the semi-finals in 2001. The Tunisian team won the African Championship for a record ten titles (1974, 1976, 1979, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2018), and Egypt has just equalled them as the competition's most successful nation by securing their 10th continental title after defeating them in the 2026 African Championship final. Egypt and Algeria are Tunisia's main rivals on the African continent.
The national team is mainly and generally composed of players from Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Club Africain and Étoile Sportive du Sahel, these teams being the traditional locomotives of the national handball scene, as well as players playing in Europe, mainly in France.
History
Tunisia is the most successful team in the African Nations Championship with ten titles won in 1974, 1976, 1979, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2018, and played in the final eight times in 1985, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2016 and 2020. They also won a bronze medal six times in 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2000.
At the World Championships, in 2005 it obtained the best performance obtained by an African country, a fourth place, thus equaling Egypt (place obtained in 2001). During the 2005–06 season, Heykel Megannem was voted the best player in the French championship, with Wissem Hmam and Issam Tej also being in the standard team, respectively as left-back and pivot.
Following the 2009 world championship, the federation sidelined Issam Tej for "indiscipline, insolence and recidivism" and Makram Missaoui for "having refused to resume play against Poland", while Maher Kraiem was suspended for three months for “misconduct”. The team is coached by the Croatian Sead Hasanefendić until June 2008, before being replaced by the Serb Zoran Živković from 24 October 2008. However, the federation dismisses him following the poor performance of the team during the 2009 world championship. He was replaced by the Tunisian Sayed Ayari and then, in June 2009, by the Frenchman Alain Portes, who signed a three-year contract.
In 2013, Alain Portes' contract was not being renewed, so he took over from Olivier Krumbholz at the head of the French women's team and was replaced by Sead Hasanefendić, back at the head of the national team for the following three seasons. In 2020, coach Toni Gerona is dismissed.
Infrastructure
The El Menzah Sports Palace, built in 1967, is the hall of the national team. Built for the 2005 World Men's Handball Championship, of which it hosted the final and all of Tunisia's matches, the Salle Omnisport de Radès now hosted most of the national team's matches.
Honours
Official competitions
African Nations Championship
- Champions (10) [[Image:Star full.svg|20px]]: 1974, 1976, 1979, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2018
- Runners-up: 1985, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2020
- Third Place: 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2024
African Games
- Runners-up: 1978
- Third Place: 1965, 2007
Mediterranean Games
- Runners-up: 2001, 2018
- Third Place: 1967, 1979, 2005, 2009
Pan Arab Games
- Champions: 1985
- Third Place: 1992, 2011
Minor tournaments
World cup
- Runners-up: 2006
Yellow Cup
- Champions: 2007, 2015, 2016, 2019
- Runners-up: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2020
- Third Place: 2008, 2010
Paris Ile-de-France tournament
- Champions: 2005
- Third Place: 1998, 2002, 2007, 2013 Championnat maghrébin des nations
- Champions : 1969, 1971, 1973
Tunisia international tournament
- Champions: 2015, 2017, 2021
Four Nations Cup Poland
- Champions: 2021, 2022 Three Nations Cup Tunisia
- Champions: 2023 Challenge Marrane
- Champions: 2008 Four Nations Tournament
- Runners-up: 2015
Air Caraïbes Cup
- Runners-up: 2019 Spain international tournament
- Third Place: 1999, 2002, 2012
Competitive record
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
- Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Olympic Games
| Olympic Games | Games | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Total | 4/15 | 0 Titles | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 464 | 554 | −90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEU 1936 | Part of France | |||||||||||||||||||
| Not held from 1948 to 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FRG 1972 | Match for 15th place | 16th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 72 | 118 | −46 | |||||||||||
| CAN 1976 | Withdrawn after two games | |||||||||||||||||||
| URS 1980 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| USA 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| KOR 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ESP 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| USA 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| AUS 2000 | Match for 9th place | 10th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 130 | 141 | −11 | |||||||||||
| GRE 2004 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| CHN 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| GBR 2012 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 144 | 150 | −6 | |||||||||||
| BRA 2016 | Group stage | 12th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 118 | 145 | −27 | |||||||||||
| JPN 2020 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| FRA 2024 |
World Championship
| World Championships | Games | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Total | Fourth place | align="center" | 18/21 | align=center | 116 | align="center" | 44 | align="center" | 9 | align="center" | 63 | 2992 | 3094 | −102 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEU 1938 | Part of France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SWE 1954 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRG 1958 | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRG 1961 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCH 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SWE 1967 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 66 | −43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRA 1970 | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDR 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DEN 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRG 1982 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDR 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCH 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SWE 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ISL 1995 | Round of 16 | 15th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 160 | 183 | −23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| JPN 1997 | Round of 16 | 16th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 106 | 128 | −22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| EGY 1999 | Round of 16 | 12th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 133 | 142 | −9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRA 2001 | Round of 16 | 10th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 140 | 136 | +4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| POR 2003 | Second round | 14th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 178 | 186 | −8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TUN 2005 | Fourth place | 4th | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 311 | 252 | +59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| GER 2007 | Main round | 11th | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 237 | 237 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CRO 2009 | Group stage | 17th | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 264 | 250 | +14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| SWE 2011 | Group stage | 20th | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 168 | 193 | −25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ESP 2013 | Round of 16 | 11th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 146 | 153 | −7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| QTR 2015 | Round of 16 | 15th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 152 | 161 | −9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRA 2017 | Group stage | 19th | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 209 | 202 | +7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| DENGER 2019 | Main round | 12th | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 205 | 238 | −33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| EGY 2021 | Presidents Cup | 25th | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 209 | 182 | +27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| POLSWE 2023 | Presidents Cup | 25th | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 208 | 196 | +12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CRODENNOR 2025 | Main round | 22nd | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 143 | 189 | −46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| GER 2027 | Qualified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FRAGER 2029 | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DENISLNOR 2031 |
- Tunisia did not compete From 1938 to 1964 and 1970 to 1993.
- Red border color indicates tournament was held on home :soil.
African Championship
| African Championship | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | Total | align="center" | Champions | 27/27 | 159 | 129 | 6 | 24 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunisia 1974 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Algeria 1976 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| CGO 1979 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Tunisia 1981 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 1983 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Angola 1985 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Morocco 1987 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Algeria 1989 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 1991 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Ivory Coast 1992 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Tunisia 1994 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Benin 1996 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| South Africa 1998 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Algeria 2000 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Morocco 2002 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 2004 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Tunisia 2006 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Angola 2008 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 2010 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Morocco 2012 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Algeria 2014 | Runners-up | 2nd | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 2016 | Runners-up | 2nd | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Gabon 2018 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Tunisia 2020 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 2022 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Egypt 2024 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| RWA 2026 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
African Games
| African Games | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | Total | Runners-up | 3/12 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGO 1965 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| NGR 1973 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| ALG 1978 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| KEN 1987 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| EGY 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ZIM 1995 | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||||
| RSA 1999 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| NGR 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ALG 2007 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| MOZ 2011 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| CGO 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MAR 2019 |
Mediterranean Games
| Mediterranean Games | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | Total | Runners-up | 11/14 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUN 1967 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| TUR 1971 | Tournament canceled | |||||||||||||||||||
| ALG 1975 | Fourth place | 4th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| YUG 1979 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| MAR 1983 | Fourth place | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||
| SYR 1987 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| GRE 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FRA 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ITA 1997 | Eighth place | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| TUN 2001 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| ESP 2005 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| ITA 2009 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| TUR 2013 | Group stage | 7th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| ESP 2018 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| ALG 2022 | Fifth Place | 5th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Pan Arab Games
| Arab Games | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | Total | Champions | 3/10 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAR 1961 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| UAR 1965 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| SYR 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MAR 1985 | Champions | 1st | ||||||||||||||||||
| SYR 1992 | Third place | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||
| LBN 1997 | Tournament canceled | |||||||||||||||||||
| JOR 1999 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| ALG 2004 | Tournament canceled | |||||||||||||||||||
| EGY 2007 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||
| QAT 2011 | Third place | 3rd |
Other records
| Other records | Year | Round | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 Maghreb Nations Championship | Final | Champions | |
| 1971 Maghreb Nations Championship | Final | Champions | |
| 1973 Maghreb Nations Championship | Final | Champions | |
| 1998 Paris Ile-de-France tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 1999 Spain international tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2002 Paris Ile-de-France tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2002 Yellow Cup | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2002 Spain international tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2003 Yellow Cup | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2004 Yellow Cup | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2005 Paris Ile-de-France tournament | Final | Champions | |
| 2006 World cup | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2007 Paris Ile-de-France tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2007 Yellow Cup | Final | Champions | |
| 2008 Challenge Marrane | Final | Champions | |
| 2008 Yellow Cup | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2010 Yellow Cup | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2012 Spain international tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2013 Paris Ile-de-France tournament | Semi-final | Third place | |
| 2015 Yellow Cup | Final | Champions | |
| 2015 Tunisia international tournament | Final | Champions | |
| 2015 Four Nations Tournament | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2016 Yellow Cup | Final | Champions | |
| 2017 Tunisia international tournament | Final | Champions | |
| 2019 Yellow Cup | Final | Champions | |
| 2019 Air Caraïbes Cup | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2020 Yellow Cup | Final | Runners-up | |
| 2021 Tunisia international tournament | Final | Champions | |
| 2021 Four Nations Cup Poland | Final | Champions | |
| 2022 Four Nations Cup Poland | Final | Champions |
Team
Current squad
Squad for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship.
Head coach: Mohamed Sghir
Head coaches
| Period | Head Coach | Honours |
|---|---|---|
| 1957–1962 | FRA Yves Boulogne | |
| 1962 | FRA Michel Djulizibaric | |
| 1962–1966 | TUN Mohamed Louahchy | |
| 1966–1968 | ROM Constantin Popa & ROM Haralambie Firan | |
| 1968–1972 | ROM Haralambie Firan | |
| 1973–1975 | ROM Ion Popescu | 1974 |
| 1976–1979 | TUN Saïd Amara | 1976 |
| 1979–1982 | TUN Hachemi Razgallah | 1979 |
| 1982–1983 | URS Guennadi Antchenko | 1981 |
| 1983–1985 | GDR Reiner Ganschow | 1983 1985 |
| 1985–1987 | TUN Sayed Ayari | 1987 1989 |
| 1987–1989 | TUN Moncef Hajjar | |
| 1989–1990 | TUN Saïd Amara | |
| 1990–1991 | TUN Lamjed Amroussi | 1991 |
| 1991–1994 | TUN Hachemi Razgallah | 1992 |
| 1994–1996 | TUN Sayed Ayari & TUN Saïd Amara | 1994 1996 1998 |
| 1996–1997 | TUN Saïd Amara | |
| 1997 | TUN Brahim Agrebi | |
| 1997–1998 | TUN Noureddine Ben Ameur | |
| 1998–2003 | TUN Sayed Ayari & TUN Saïd Amara | 2000 2002 |
| 2003 | TUN Sayed Ayari | |
| 2004 | SRB Zoran Živković | 2004 |
| 2004–2008 | CRO Sead Hasanefendić | 2006 2008 |
| 2008–2009 | SRB Zoran Živković | |
| 2009 | TUN Sayed Ayari | |
| 2009–2014 | FRA Alain Portes | 2010 2012 |
| 2014–2015 | CRO Sead Hasanefendić | 2014 |
| 2015–2016 | FRA Sylvain Nouet | 2016 |
| 2016–2017 | TUN Hafedh Zouabi | |
| 2017–2020 | ESP Toni Gerona | 2018 2020 |
| 2020–2022 | TUN Sami Saïdi | |
| 2022– | FRA Patrick Cazal | 2024 |
Notable players
References
References
- "Tunisie – Hand : Avant-dernier stage pour le sept national avant le Mondial 2025". lapresse.tn.
- (14 January 2025). "Team Roster Tunisia".
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