Tunisia men's national basketball team explained

Country:Tunisia
Nickname:Arabic: نسور قرطاج
(Eagles of Carthage)[1]
Coach:Mehdy Mary
Joined Fiba:1956
Fiba Zone:FIBA Africa
National Fed:FTBB
Oly Appearances:1
Wc Appearances:2
Zone Championship:AfroBasket
Zone Appearances:23
Zone Medals: Gold: (2011, 2017, 2021)
Silver: (1965)
Bronze: (1970, 1974, 2009, 2015)
Zone Championship2:African Games
Zone Appearances2:4
Zone Medals2: Gold: (1973)
Bronze: (1978)
Zone Championship3:Arab Championship
Zone Appearances3:13
Zone Medals3: Gold: (1981, 1983, 2008, 2009)
Silver: (2022)
Bronze: (1991, 1992, 2002, 2007)
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First Game: 77–68
(Beirut, Lebanon; 1957)
Largest Win: 101–40
(Yaoundé, Cameroon; 25 November 2017)
Largest Loss: 63–110
(London, United Kingdom; 31 July 2012)

The Tunisia men's national basketball team (ar|منتخب تونس لكرة السلة), nicknamed The Eagles of Carthage, represents Tunisia in international basketball. The team is governed by the Tunisia Basketball Federation (FTBB). To date, she has taken part in the regional championship the AfroBasket 23 times. In terms of the number of successful performances, it is inferior to the traditionally strong teams of Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Egypt. In 2011, the Tunisian national team became the champion of Africa for the first time in its history, defeating the Angola team in the AfroBasket 2011 final. The team's previous success was silver at the home Africa Championship 1965. The team also won bronze medals in the 1970, 1974, 2009 and 2015 competitions.

Despite fairly successful performances (the Tunisian national team never finished lower than eighth), the team was unable to repeat or even come close to the successes of the 1970s. The success of the 2009 was quite unexpected, when the team took third place at the AfroBasket 2009. Following the results of the draw, forward Amine Rzig was included in the symbolic team of the tournament, and the team in the preliminary round won 4 games with two defeats, but in three matches the Tunisian team won with a difference of two or one point. Tunisia reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1974, where they defeated Mali by one point. And although Tunisia lost to Angola in the semi-finals, Cameroon was beaten in the bronze medal match, and the Tunisian team automatically qualified for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. This was also the first time in the team's history that they qualified for the world championship. However, the team performed poorly at the World Cup, losing all five matches in Group B and eventually finishing in 24th place. In 2017 as co-hosts,[2] Tunisia won its second AfroBasket by beating Nigeria 77–65 in the final.[3] It retains its title in 2021 by beating Ivory Coast in the final with a score of 78–75.[4]

History

In 2011, they won their first ever FIBA Africa Championship, after beating Angola in the final. Their previous best finish was at the FIBA Africa Championship 1965, when they won the silver medal as the host country.[5] They also won a bronze medal at the FIBA Africa Championship 1970 and FIBA Africa Championship 1974.[6] [7]

Although the Tunisians never finished worse than eighth in any of their succeeding appearances, they were not able to break onto the podium again until a surprise bronze medal run at the FIBA Africa Championship 2009. Led by All-Tournament First Team forward Amine Rzig,[8] the Tunisians went 4–2 in the preliminary rounds, winning three games by two points or less. They reached the semi-finals for only the second time since 1974, by another slim margin – this time a one-point victory over Mali. Although they were defeated by Angola in the semi-finals, the Tunisians topped Cameroon in the bronze medal game, to claim Africa's third and final automatic berth in the 2010 FIBA World Championship – its first ever FIBA World Cup berth. The Tunisians struggled to compete in the World Championship, losing all five of their games, and finishing last in Group B, and 24th overall. Yet, after almost forty years of mediocrity in Africa, Tunisia has become one of the continent's prime competitors again. Its appearances at the global stage have become a new milestone in the team's history.

Honours

Official competitions

Champions: 2011, 2017, 2021

Third place: 1970, 1974, 2009, 2015

Champions: 1973

Third place: 1978

Champions: 1981, 1983, 2008, 2009

Runner-up: 2022

Third place: 1991, 1992, 2002, 2007

Third place: 1957, 1985, 1992

Third place: 2013

Minor competitions

Third place: 2012, 2019

Champions: 2008

Runner-up: 2004, 2007, 2011

Third place: 2003, 2021

Runner-up: 2019

Awards

2011

Salah Mejri[9]

2021

Makram Ben Romdhane[10]

2009

Amine Rzig

2011

Marouan Kechrid, Makrem Ben Romdhane, Salah Mejri

2015

Makram Ben Romdhane (2)[11]

2017

Mourad El Mabrouk, Mohamed Hdidane[12]

2021

Omar Abada, Makram Ben Romdhane (3)[13]

Competitive record

Unlike other team sports, where Tunisia is well positioned at the regional level, the Tunisian men's basketball team has not managed to expand its list of trophies even if at the continental level it can consider among the most awarded countries. Finalist of the African championship held in home in 1965, four times third and twice fourth, Tunisia did not succeed in becoming African champion of the discipline until 2011 without however maintaining its rank since, during the following edition, it is relegated to ninth place.

At the Arab level, the prize list is more extensive with four champion titles, in 1981, 1983, 2008 and 2009, a second place and three third places. On 28 August 2011, the team won the AfroBasket for the first time after defeating Angola 67–56 in the final and qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[14]

In 2017 as co-hosts,[15] Tunisia won its second AfroBasket by beating Nigeria 77–65 in the final.[16] It retains its title in 2021 by beating Ivory Coast in the final with a score of 78–75.[17] On 16 February 2022, Tunisia lost the final of the 2022 Arab Championship against Lebanon 69–72 in the United Arab Emirates.

Champions   Runners up   Third place   Fourth place

Olympic Games

Olympic Games
YearRoundPosition
1936Part of France
1948
1952
1956Did not qualify
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012Group stage11th505320411−91
2016Did not qualify
2020
2024
TotalGroup stage1/18505320411−91

FIBA World Cup

World Cup
YearRoundPosition
1950Part of France
1954
1959Did not qualify
1963
1967
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010Group stage24th505300407−107
2014Did not qualify
2019Group stage20th532205235−30
2023Did not qualify
2027To be determined
TotalGroup stage2/171037505642style="background:#E70013; color:white;" -137

AfroBasket

AfroBasket
YearRoundPosition
1962Did not enter
1964Fourth place4th523300297+3
1965Runners-up2nd422212217−5
1968Did not enter
1970Third place3rd422268220+48
1972Group stage5th642482398+84
1974Third place3rd642471451+20
1975Classification stage5th505411426−15
1978Did not enter
1980
1981Classification stage6th532295355−60
1983Did not enter
1985Classification stage8th624402467−65
1987Classification stage5th422292294−2
1989Classification stage8th624488512−24
1992Classification stage7th514284308−24
1993Classification stage8th514410451−41
1995Did not enter
1997
1999Classification stage5th642314309+5
2001Fourth place4th743536522+14
2003Classification stage6th633433389+44
2005Quarter-finals8th826527529−2
2007Quarter-finals6th633428415+13
2009Third place3rd963659641+18
2011Champions1st770544375+169
2013Round of 169th541382311+71
2015Third place3rd761484425+59
2017Champions1st660428347+81
2021Champions1st660470383+87
2025To be determined
Total3 Titles23/30134765895209042+478

AfroCan

AfroCan
YearRoundPosition
2019Quarterfinals7th532356339+17
2023Quarterfinals5th541335306+29
TotalQuarterfinals2/21073691645+46

Other records

TournamentRoundPosition
1957 Pan Arab GamesThird place3rd
1973 African GamesChampions1st
1978 African GamesThird place3rd
1981 Arab ChampionshipChampions1st
1983 Arab ChampionshipChampions1st
1985 Pan Arab GamesThird place3rd
1991 Arab ChampionshipThird place3rd
1992 Arab ChampionshipThird place3rd
1992 Pan Arab GamesThird place3rd
2002 Arab ChampionshipThird place3rd
2003 King's CupThird place3rd
2004 King's CupRunners-up2nd
2007 King's CupRunners-up2nd
2007 Arab ChampionshipThird place3rd
2008 Arab ChampionshipChampions1st
2008 King's CupChampions1st
2009 Arab ChampionshipChampions1st
2011 King's CupRunners-up2nd
2012 Stanković CupThird place3rd
2013 Mediterranean GamesThird place3rd
2018 Stanković CupRunners-up2nd
2019 Stanković CupThird place3rd
2019 Czech Republic TournamentRunners-up2nd
2021 King's CupThird place3rd
2022 Arab ChampionshipRunners-up2nd
2023 Arab ChampionshipThird place3rd

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers matches on 26, 27 and 28 August 2022 against Egypt, Senegal and DR Congo.[18]

All Time Head coaches

PeriodHead Coach
1957–1959 Hammadi Driss
1960–1961 Griffith
1961–1962 Borhane Errais
1962–1963 Miodrag Stefanović
1963–1965 Borhane Errais
1965–1966 Valensky
1966–1967 Faherty
1967–1968 Katarinsky
1968–1971 Igor Tocigl
1971 Václav Krása
1971–1972 Bill Sweek
1972–1978 Mohamed Senoussi
PeriodHead Coach
1978–1979 Khaled Senoussi
1979–1981 Mohamed Senoussi
1981 Khaled Senoussi
1982–1983 Mohamed Zaouali
1983–1987 Youri Velligoura
1988–1990 Ridha Laabidi
1990–1991 Mohamed Senoussi
1991–1992 Khaled Senoussi
1992–1994 Mohamed Zaouali
1994–1996 Igor Tocigl
1997–1998 Juan Manuel Monsalve
1998–1999 Mustapha Bouchenak
PeriodHead Coach
1999–2000 Zoran Zupecevic
2000–2001 Francis Jordane &<br/> Mounir Ben Sliman
2001–2002 Adel Tlatli
2002–2003 Marijan Novović
2004 Walid Gharbi
2004–2016 Adel Tlatli
2016–2020
2020–2022 Dirk Bauermann
2022–2023 Erman Kunter
2023 Mário Palma
2023–present Mehdy Mary

Kit

Manufacturer

2015 – Nike[19]

Sponsor

2015 – Tunisie Telecom[19]

See also

External links

Videos

Notes and References

  1. News: Omnisports – Basketball : Le Nigéria toujours " Number One " en Afrique. 19 March 2021 . AfricaFootUnited.com . 3 March 2021 . French.
  2. News: 1 July 2017 . Tunisia and Senegal to co-host FIBA AfroBasket 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170908161912/http://www.fiba.basketball/afrobasket/2017/news/tunisia-and-senegal-to-co-host-fiba-afrobasket-2017 . 8 September 2017 . 18 September 2017 . FIBA.
  3. News: 16 September 2017 . Tunisia crowned FIBA AfroBasket 2017 Champions . 18 September 2017 . fiba.basketball.
  4. Web site: 5 September 2021 . Mejri and Roll spark Tunisia to FIBA AfroBasket 2021 title . FIBA.
  5. https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2391/_/1965_African_Championship_for_Men/index.html 1965 African Championship
  6. https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2393/_/1970_African_Championship_for_Men/index.html 1970 African Championship
  7. https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2395/_/1974_African_Championship_for_Men/index.html 1974 African Championship
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20090822143838/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/fibaEven/fibaAfriCham/p/newsid/31702/arti.html LBA – Gomes Leads All-Star Team
  9. Web site: Mavericks sign 7-2 Tunisian center Salah Mejri . 2024-02-04 . ESPN.com.
  10. Web site: MVP Ben Romdhane headlines FIBA AfroBasket 2021 All-Star team . 2024-02-04 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  11. Web site: 30 August 2015 . Oguchi named MVP of AfroBasket 2015, headlines All-Star Five . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150902231603/http://www.fiba.com/news/oguchi-named-afrobasket-2015-mvp-headlines-all-star-five . September 2, 2015 . 30 August 2015 . FIBA.
  12. News: 16 September 2017 . Dieng and Diogu headline All-Star Five at FIBA AfroBasket 2017 . 18 September 2017 . FIBA.
  13. Web site: 5 September 2021 . MVP Ben Romdhane headlines FIBA AfroBasket 2021 All-Star team . 5 September 2021 . FIBA.
  14. Web site: 2011-08-28 . 26th Afrobasket: Tunisia is Africa of the court, bag olympic ticket . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111007065148/http://madagascar2011.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/11/fafcm/news/p/eid/7915/nid/49020/sid/7915/article.html . 2011-10-07 . 2011-08-28 . fiba.com.
  15. News: 1 July 2017 . Tunisia and Senegal to co-host FIBA AfroBasket 2017 . FIBA . https://web.archive.org/web/20170908161912/http://www.fiba.basketball/afrobasket/2017/news/tunisia-and-senegal-to-co-host-fiba-afrobasket-2017 . live . 8 September 2017 . 18 September 2017.
  16. News: 16 September 2017 . Tunisia crowned FIBA AfroBasket 2017 Champions . fiba.basketball . 18 September 2017.
  17. Web site: 5 September 2021 . Mejri and Roll spark Tunisia to FIBA AfroBasket 2021 title . FIBA.
  18. Web site: Tunisia during the 2023 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers in August 2022. 25 August 2022.
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20150612120441/http://www.fiba.com/afrobasket/2015/Tunisia 2015 FIBA Africa Championship – Tunisia