Tunis: Tunisian coach Sami Trabelsi said that the 2-2 draw against Palestine this evening at Lusail Stadium, in the opening matches of the second round of Group A in the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, felt like a defeat given they were leading and the manner in which they conceded.

According to Qatar News Agency, Trabelsi stressed that his presence as head coach of the Tunisian national team in this tournament was mandatory rather than optional, but emphasized that it was not a gamble but rather a fulfillment of his responsibility and national duty. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Trabelsi said that the draw against Palestine felt like a loss, especially after going ahead 2-0 and performing much better than in the first match.

He added that the presence of more than five players shared between the first and second national teams was the reason he is leading the team in the Arab Cup, particularly after the idea of participating with the U-23 squad was canceled. He said that his leadership of the team is an acceptance of responsibility and not a risk or a fear of results that might lead to his dismissal.

Trabelsi noted that Tunisia still has a glimmer of hope to qualify for the second round in the upcoming difficult match against Qatar, pointing out that the team will fight to protect its qualification chances and deliver a strong performance in the final group fixture. He assumed responsibility for today’s draw against Palestine, particularly since the two goals conceded came from set pieces and through very basic defensive positioning errors. He added that the team’s performance dipped in the second half due to fatigue that affected a large number of the players.