13.01. (Fri) 15:00 Tunisia - Cote D'Ivoire

PROBABLE LINEUPS

TUNISIA MathlouthiIfa, Haggui, Abdennour, JemalKorbi, Saihi Msakni, Chikhaoui, Dhaouadi Khelifa

COTE D'IVOIRE CopaSiaka, Kolo, Boka, Lolo Yaya, Zokora, Tiote Gervinho, Kalou, Drogba

After a string of positive results against Basque Country, Catalunya, and Sudan, the Tunisian national team will play their final friendly against Cote D’Ivoire on Friday and then return to Tunis before heading to Libreville to get settled for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Sami Trabelsi is likely to pick a starting lineup that will end up being very close to the team that will face Morocco in the first Group C match on January 23. The coach settled on his 23-man team on Wednesday, cutting Tunisian domestic league players Walid Hichri, Hatten Baratli, and Iheb Msakni from his provisional squad.
Yassine Chikhaoui is set to feature prominently against the Ivorians in order to ascertain his readiness. The play-maker missed the 3-0 victory over Sudan due to a last-minute trip to his club Zurich to settle some urgent administrative issues. Meanwhile, the north Africans will be hoping to recover Majdi Traoui, who pulled out of practice with an injury on Tuesday.
Elephants coach Francois Zahoui has also picked his final Afcon roster, deciding to leave out midfielder Marco Ne and backup goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone from his preliminary list. The west Africans have a match against a second north African opponent, Libya, lined up for Monday.
Aside for an injury to defender Emmanuel Eboue, the Ivorians are in good health and ready to put the finishing touches on their preparations for a tournament that many believe is the best chance for their generation of sparkling talents to lift the continental trophy. Zahoui might replace Eboue with Igor Lolo, Bejamin Angoua, or Sol Bamba.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The last time these two teams faced each other, Tunisia hosted Cote D’Ivoire in Sousse and the match ended in a goalless draw. To date, it is the only goalless game between the two sides.

• The Carthage Eagles and Elephants have played each other 15 times, with the north Africans winning on six occasions, the Ivorians winning four times, and the remaining five games ending in draws.

• The widest margin of victory recorded historically between Cote D’Ivoire and Tunisia was during their first encounter back in 1963 when the west Africans won 3-0. Tunisia’s biggest victory is a 5-3 home triumph in 1991.

• Journeyman Kader Keita played in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 for Etoile from 2000 to 2001 before continuing onto the UAE, Qatar, France, Turkey, and then back to Qatar.