
Tunisia

Japan
The rivalry
Japan v Tunisia: the day Japan topped their home group
Japan and Tunisia have met once at a World Cup. It came in Osaka in June 2002, the final group game of Japan’s first ever World Cup as co-hosts.
Japan needed a draw to qualify for the last 16 for the first time in their history. The whole country watched. The first half was tight. Both sides cancelled each other out. Then on 48 minutes, Hiroaki Morishima nudged Japan ahead. On 75 minutes, captain Hidetoshi Nakata leapt highest at a corner to head in a second.
2-0 and through. Japan finished top of Group H. The Nagai Stadium in Osaka shook. It was the proudest day in Japanese football to that point.
Tunisia went home from a third group stage exit in a row, a pattern they did not break until 2022. On 21/06/2026 in Atlanta, the two meet again, with both sides aiming for a knockout place. Same fixture, very different stakes.
Match prediction
Starting eleven
-
1
Z. Suzuki
G -
22
T. Tomiyasu
D -
4
K. Itakura
D -
21
H. Ito
D -
10
R. Doan
M -
24
K. Sano
M -
7
A. Tanaka
M -
13
K. Nakamura
M -
14
J. Ito
F -
15
D. Kamada
F -
18
A. Ueda
F
Manager: Hajime Moriyasu
-
16
A. Dahmen
G -
6
D. Bronn
D -
3
M. Talbi
D -
4
O. Rekik
D -
20
Y. Valery
M -
25
A. Slimane
M -
17
E. Skhiri
M -
2
A. Abdi
M -
8
E. Saad
F -
10
H. Mejbri
F -
26
S. Tounekti
F