Tunisia vs Belgium, 2002 FIFA World Cup, Group Stage

· FIFA World Cup

Tunisia

17': Raouf Bouzaiene

FT
1 - 1

Belgium

13': Marc Wilmots

About

Tunisia are hosting Belgium at Crasus Dome Oita, Oita, Japan, starting on . The match is a part of the FIFA World Cup.

Match Timeline

0': Tunisia face elimination if, as expected, they lose today. Belgium know a win makes them, along with Japan, favourites to go through to the last 16.
0': Derby County's Branko Strupar has been called up to tbe Belgium side with Johan Walem dropped while Tunisia leave out their skipper Abdel Sellimi as well as Zoubaier Baya. It surely doesn't bode well...
0': ... And with Wesley Sonck on the Belgian bench, subsitutes could have a major impact on this game.
1': Belgium, the less feared Red Devils, start the game and earn an early throw. Wilmots is fouled by Jaidi.
2': Wilmots himself takes and puts in a low shot which bobbles and goes straight at Boumnijel.
2': And a Tunisian free kick at the other end but Benachour really overhits it - goal kick.
3': Melki decides to have a crack from 30 yards - it's a long way wide. Tunisia's finishing was poor against Russia - this doesn't bode well either.
4': Wilmots spreads play for Verheyen, but the pass is just too far for the Bruges man. Goal kick
5': Belgiium build on the right. Not a bad cross, but it comes back to Simons who lets fly... and his shot goes high into the stand
6': Belgium have had the better of the the first few minute, but Becnachour has the ball for Tunisia now and de Boeck needed to make a fine challenge
8': Slow start by the Tunisians - as against Russia, they appear to be in no rush
8': Benachour's tha danger man but Vanderhaeghe got back twell to tackle him there
9': Wilmots makes a trademark run into the box but Jaidi heads away
9': Another important piece of defending by de Boeck when Banachour looked for Jaziri
11': Tunisia free kick - can they create a chance here?
11': No. Another goal kick, yet again, it went past everyone.
12': Belgian possession - and Vanderhaeghe's tackle almost puts Verheyen through. Badra comes back to intercept well
13': Simons crosses, Strupar heads back across goal and Wilmots is there...
13': GOAL! Wilmots scores and Belgium lead. He slid in well there to score his 7th goal for Belgium
14': Benachour crossses from the right and Deflandre rises well to stop Melki winning the header
15': And Gabsi tries the overhead kick - but it's straight at de Vlieger who gathers easily
16': Another Tunisia free kick - their delivery so far has ben poor. Can it get better?
16': Marginally, though Belgium did win the header... but it comes out, a man is fouled and the referee blows for a foul as Bouzazo shoots...
16': It goes in, but the referee had given the free kick. Bouzaiene takes....
17': GOAL! Bouzaiene scores! A brilliant free kick to the top left corner. Tunisia have the ball in the net twice in a minute
17': Trabelsi crosses, Melki volleys and Deflandre makes a great block - the striker and the right back chase and Defandre appears to bring him down - but it's a corner, not a penalty
18': Fantastic response by Tunisia - and they've won another corner
19': but Belgium head away from Benachour but Trabelsi puts in a slide-rule pass for Jaziri.. He could shoot here...
20': And it goes across the face of goal and wide. Tunisia really are on top now
21': Benachour finds Jazizi and he wins another corner
22': Belgium get it away but they are rocking now - they need to get back on the ball fir a while
22': Goor earns a free kick. Tunisia protest and Gabsi is cautioned - he's out of the Japan game now
23': Van der Heyden makes a run down the left, cuts into the box and nudges a pass to Simons. He goes to shoot, but it's blocked and over
23': Boumnijel comes to reach the corner - he doesn't but he's baulked and awarded a free kick
25': More fine passing from the Tunisians - they are stretching Belgium, particularly down the right flank where Hatem Trabselsi is a threat
26': Goor clears well as Gabsi shapes to shoot
26': Goor plays a one-two with the referee - the official showed a better first touch there...
27': Verheyen is brought down near the corner flag. Belgian free kick.
27': ... but Deflandre hits the wall. Corner
28': ... and Tunisia scramble it away
29': Ghodhbane's cross is too deep for everyone - goal kick
29': Gabsi brings down Gert Verheyen from behind. Gabsi will have to be careful - he's already been booked
30': Belgium are wearing another hideous radioactive kit today
32': Strupar is fouled 25 yards out. Chance for a shot?
32': Strupar himself goes for goal, but it's a low effort which is cleared
33': Another Belgian free kick. Will they make Tunisia pay?
33': Not this time. The Wall does its job and blocks Wilmots' effort
34': Van der Heyden launches a long throw and Jaidi concedes a corner
34': Bart Goor takes... but it goes behind before curling back into play.
36': Treatment for Wilmots now - he has a cut near his eye. Belgium will want their talismanic skipper back
37': Tunisia appear to have weathered that storm from the Belgians and Trabelsi crosses, dfe Vlieger palms it away and Deflandre whacks it behind
38': Belgium clear the corner, bt more danger down the Tunisian right
40': Van Buyten brings down Jaziri from behind - yellow card
40': ... and the Tunisian forward is still down. He'll be taken off for treatment before the free kick can be taken
41': Tunisia revert to their earlier style of free kicks - booting it over everyone's head for a goal kick
42': Jaziri returns. A boost for Tunisia after his first-half performance
42': Yellow card! Ghodhbane for a blatant tag on Van der Heyden
43': Jaziri makes a solo break and is crowded out by several Belgian defenders before de Vlieger gathers
44': De Vlieger came out hios box there as Jaziri and de Boeck chased a long ball - de Boeck cleared for a throw with the keeper stranded
45': ... and Trabelsi is brought down straight away. Bouzaiene bends it in, Jaidi rises well but can only head it straight up in the air.
45': Two minutes of stoppage time are signalled
45': And Belgium ahve another free kick which Goor can take. De Boeck heads well wide
45': And that's half time - Belgium 1 Tunisia 1. Quite a decent half. Belgium surely need a winner in the secocnd half but it was an encouraging performance from the Tunisians
46': A big second half for Belgium - if they don't win now they need to beat Russia to go through
46': And Robert Waseige makes a double change - on come Sven Vermant and Wesley Sonck, off go Gert Verheyen and Branko Strupar
46': Tunisia kick off - can they record only their second ever win in a World Cup?
47': Sonck goes down, but doesn't get a free kick - Jaszii breaks and is brought down himself
48': Waseige looks unhappy already - can his double change reap rewards?
49': Tunisia must be the happier side now - and not just because their coach looks like Tom Sellecka while Belgium's resembles Alan Mullery...
49': Sonck whips in a cross which Boumnijel gathers
50': Trabelsi's on another break down the right - he finds Jaziri who cuts it back to Ghodhbane who hits it on the volley from 25 yards... and that's just past the post. Terrific effort
51': Nearly one of the goals of the tournament from Ghodhane there
52': Vanderhaeghe wins a free kick. Goor whips it in , there's a flick-on and Simons could be in on goal... but his rib control and the whistle's gone anyway
53': Goor has a crack from 25 yards- deflected behind for a corner. But Boumnijel is fouled - free kick
54': Van Buyten took an elbow from Jaziri. Proabably accidental, but the Belgian needs treatment
56': Patient Belgian build-up and Vanderhaeghe bends it in - it narrowly eavdes the jumping Sonck and goes off for a goal kick
57': Sonck is looking a little more lively than Struapar was in attack - a goal today and maybe Waseige may have to pick him
58': Vanderhaeghe's pass is deflected behind for a corner.
58': Vermant will take...
59': ... but it's too long and Trabelsi can head away
59': Glen De Boeck's stayed forward and has a go on the half-volley. Not a great effort, though - some way over the bar
60': Jaziri is in space behind the Belgium defence but is given offsid. No real complaints there
60': Boumnijel comes out a long way to claim a Goor cross. The Tunisian keeper has done better so far than he did against the Russians
62': Goor has another effort from 25 yards - this one hits his own team-mate, Wilmots, and is deflected off
63': Bouzaiene does well to dispossess Sonck as the striker tries to break inside the penalty box.
64': But Sonck is free now, he chips it back ...and Boumnijel claims.
64': Wilmots prods it through to Goor. He's in on goal but Boumnijel comes out quickly and blocks his shot
65': Belgium free kick - this is their best spell of the half
66': Vermant's kick is header away and Gabsi half clears but Van Buyten curled in a cross, Wilmots chested it down, but Sonck didn't react in time and Tunisia clear
67': Change for Tunisia - the captain Adel Sellimi comes on for Gabsi
68': Trabelsi drags back Goor - yellow card
68': Belgium are looking the more likely to force a winner now - but can they snatch the extra two points?
69': Wilmots found Vanderhaeghe but hsi first touch rukes out a shooting opportunity
69': Melki brings down Deflandre from behind - Tunisia's fourth booking
70': The Africans clear the free kick but are soon under pressure again
71': Vanderhaeghe shoots from 25 yards - and he, too, manages to hit one of his own players.
73': Jaziri puts de Boeck under real pressure, winning three consecutive sliding tackles on the ponderous defender
73': Tunisia are looking brighter now - Benachour is starting to get back in the game
74': Final change for Belgium. Mbo Mpenza replaces Timmy Simons
75': Bouzaiene gets to the byline and puts in a cross which is too near de Vlieger
76': Mpenza makes his first run and somewhat fortuitously earns a free kick near the byline
77': Vermant will cross...
77': ... and it somehow goes across the six-yard box and beats everyone. Trabelsi makes a break for Tunisia
78': Tunisia replace the impressive Jaziri with Zitouni.
78': No great rush from the Tunisians herer - they seem to be settling for a point
79': Melki is writhing around on the ground holding his head
80': Benachour puts in a cross which de Boeck clears
81': Melkis finds Zitouni in a rare spell of attacking pressure from the Tunisians
82': Benachour almost plays Zitouni and Van Buyten upends Banachour on the edge of the box
83': Will it be Bouzaiene again?
83': It's Ghodhbane and it deflects off the wall for a corner
84': Benachour puts the cross in and Badra heads over the bar
85': Belgium went out of the last World Cup undefeated at the group stage because they kept drawing. Surely the same can't happen again?
86': Deflandere delivers a cross from the right which is just too high for Mpenza - Tunisia clear
88': This is disappointing for Belgium - they don't look like scoring a winner.
88': And on comes Zoubeir Baya for Melki - a surprise he wasn't on earlier
89': Deflandre puts in a high cross which Boumnijel just palms away, but it falls to a Tunisian and they clear
90': Trabersi gets forward again and wins a corner. Could there be a late winner?
90': Benachour takes, but de Boeck headed away. A second cross comes in and de Boeck puts it behind for another corner
91': It comes out to the edge of the box and Ghodhbane fires in a shot which de Vlieger does well to punch away
92': Belgium on the back foot in these four minutes of added time
93': But now Vermant finds Sonck, his first touch takes him away from one defender and he goes to toe poke a half-volley from the edge of the box - but it's wide. Sonck wanted a free kick there
94': And Tunisia go down the other end and Ghodhbane again goes for the winner from 25 yards. He gets power but that's too high
94': And that's the final whistle - Belgium 1 Tunisia 1. Bouzaiene's superb equaliser keeps Tunisia in the World Cup after Wilmots' opening goal. A much better performance by the Tunisians and Belgium did not impress

Statistics

BEL		TUN
18	Fouls	21
1	Yellow Cards	4
0	Red Cards	0
2	Offsides	2
5	Corner Kicks	6
2	Saves	2
0	Possession	0
9	SHOTS	9
3	ON GOAL	3
0.3	On Target %	0.3
0	Penalty Goals	0
0	Penalty Kicks Taken	0
0	Accurate Passes	0
0	Passes	0
0.0	Pass Completion %	0.0
0	Accurate Crosses	0
12	Crosses	10
0.0	Cross %	0.0
0	Long Balls	0
0	Accurate Long Balls	0
0.0	Long Balls %	0.0
0	Blocked Shots	0
0	Effective Tackles	0
0	Tackles	0
0.0	Tackle %	0.0
0	Interceptions	0
0	Effective Clearances	0
4	Clearances	5

Game Information

Competition: FIFA World Cup

Venue: Crasus Dome Oita
Location: Oita, Japan
Attendance: 54,321

FIFA World Cup Table

#	TEAM	GP	GD	PTS
1	Spain	0	0	0
2	Cape Verde	0	0	0
3	Saudi Arabia	0	0	0
4	Uruguay	0	0	0

Full Table

Line-Ups

Tunisia

No.	Name
1	Ali Boumnjiel (GK)
2	Khaled Badra
12	Raouf Bouzaiene
15	Radhi Jaidi
6	Hatem Trabelsi
18	Selim Benachour
13	Riadh Bouazizi
8	Hassen Gabsi
10	Kais Ghodhbane
5	Zied Jaziri
21	Mourad Melki

Tunisia Substitutes:

Zoubaier Baya, Adel Sellimi, Ali Zitouni.

Belgium

No.	Name
1	Geert De Vlieger (GK)
3	Glen De Boeck
2	Eric Deflandre
16	Daniel Van Buyten
12	Peter Van Der Heyden
8	Bart Goor
6	Timmy Simons
18	Yves Vanderhaeghe
11	Gert Verheyen
20	Branko Strupar
7	Marc Wilmots

Belgium Substitutes:

Sven Vermant, Wesley Sonck, Mbo Mpenza.

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