Hannibal Mejbri out of Tunisia’s squad to face Uganda Cranes | AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

Thursday September 24, 2026

• Hammad Agrebi stadium – 10pm [EAT]

Tunisia will be without inspirational midfielder Hannibal Mejbri for their opener against Uganda in the 2027 Pamoja TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.

The two sides face off on Thursday in a repeat of the 2025 Afcon Group stage match which Tunisia won 3-1 in Morocco with Mejbri putting up a man of the match performance.

Mejbri, who features for Burnley in England is out through injury with new head coach Mouine Chabaani recalling experienced stars Ferjani Sassi, Aïssa Laïdouni and veteran left back Ali Maâloul.

The trio, overlooked for the World Cup return alongside Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Hamza Rafia, Sayfallah Ltaief and Amine Cherni Chabaani mingles youth with experience.

He has only kept 14 members of the squad that represented Tunisia at the World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico in June where they lost all matches and scored only 2 goals against 12 conceded.

Elyes Skhiri who scored the opening goal against the Cranes in December 23 in Afcon retired from international football while regulars Ali Abdi, Elias Saad, Saîf-Eddine Khaoui, Firas Chaouat and Issam Jebali were selected with Chabaani giving first call ups to Samy Chouchane, Sadok Kedida and Mohamed Nasraoui.

Meanwhile, Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put has Tobby Sibbick, Rogers Torach, Aziz Kayondo, Kenneth Ssemakula, Rogers Mato, Steven Mukwala, Travis Mutyaba, Alhassan Baba, Allan Okello, James Bogere who all featured against Tunisia at Afcon in Morocco available for selection.

Tunisia squad

Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmen, Mouhib Chamakh, Sabri Ben Hassen.

Defenders: Yan Valéry, Mouataz Neffati, Montassar Talbi, Alaa Ghram, Mohamed Nasraoui, Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Ali Maâloul, Amine Cherni.

Midfielders: Aïssa Laïdouni, Ferjani Sassi, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Hamza Rafia, Anis Ben Slimane, Sami Chouchane, Ismaël Gharbi.

Forwards: Khalil Ayari, Sayfallah Ltaief, Elias Achouri, Sebastian Tounekti, Rayan Elloumi, Sadok Kedida, Hazem Mastouri.