Tunisia v Australia – World Cup: Team news, start time, channel
After their thumping defeat by France, it’s crunch time for Australia as they take on stubborn Tunisia at the World Cup… but what time is kick-off? What TV channel is it on? What is their head-to-head record? And what is the team news?
- Australia return to World Cup action when they take on Tunisia on Saturday
- The Socceroos fell to a 4-1 defeat by France in their opening game in Al-Wakrah
- Graham Arnold’s side need a win to keep their hopes of advancing alive
- They play at 10am (UK), 5am (US) and 9pm on Saturday (Australian DST)
- The game will take place at Al Janoub Stadium, which holds 40,000 fans
It was always earmarked as the must-win game for the Socceroos, but after their thumping defeat by France, there can be no question that Australia need three points to give themselves a glimmer of hope of escaping their group.
For 27 minutes, Graham Arnold’s side had the nation dreaming of the impossible. Craig Goodwin’s sumptuous finish sent shockwaves around the world on Tuesday night to give the Socceroos a surprise lead over the reigning world champions.
But, unsurprisingly, Les Bleus’ class came to the fore and the Australians simply had no answer for Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud.
They enter Saturday’s contest stuck at the foot of Group D on zero points, and know that a win over their African rivals will give them a shot of reaching the knockout stages.
Yet it won’t be easy for the Socceroos. Tunisia showed their mettle in a gutsy 0-0 draw with dark horses Denmark, and will happily go toe-to-toe with Arnold’s physical side in Al-Wakrah.
So, with the clash quickly approaching, Sportsmail takes you through everything you need to know below about the opening game of the 2022 World Cup.
Australia return to action in the World Cup when they take on Tunisia on Saturday
When is Tunisia vs Australia?
Australia take on Tunisia on Saturday 26 November, with the game kicking off in the late hours Down Under.
Date: Saturday 26 November
Time: 10am (UK), 5am (US) and 9pm (Australian Eastern Time)
How to watch the match
The game between Australia and Tunisia will be aired live on BBC for UK viewers. If you are looking to stream the game, you can head to BBC iPlayer of the BBC Sport website.
The game will be free to watch for all UK viewers with a TV Licence. Meanwhile, there are plenty of channels broadcasting the game in the US, including Fox Sports 1 in English and Telemundo in Spanish.
Australian viewers can tune into the game via SBS, who will be televising every match during the 2022 World Cup. SBS On Demand will also stream the France vs Australia fixture for those on the move.
UK: BBC and BBC iPlayer
US: Peacock, SiriusXM FC, UFORIA app, Telemundo, Sling, Fox Sports 1
AUS: SBS and SBS On Demand
Tunisia put in a stubborn defensive performance against dark horses Denmark on Tuesday
Where is Tunisia v Australia being played?
France’s fixture against Australia will take place at the Al Janoub Stadium – which is located in Al-Wakrah, 17km south of Doha.
The Al Janoub Stadium was designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and has a capacity of 40,000, including a retractable roof.
The stadium will host games from Groups D, G and H, as well as one Round of 16 clash.
Location: Al-Wakrah, Qatar
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium
The state-of-the-art Al Janoub stadium will play host to the Group D match on Tuesday
Tunisia vs Australia: Team news
The Socceroos were given a late injury headache before a ball was kicked after Martin Boyle was forced to withdraw from the squad with a knee injury, He was replaced by Marco Tilio.
Fortunately for Graham Arnold, no fresh injury concerns arose from their 4-1 defeat by France, meaning he has a full squad to choose from for Saturday’s game.
Tunisia also came through the Denmark match unscathed so neither manager can blame injuries after Saturday’s game.
Both sides are blessed with a full bill of health after coming through their match unscathed
Tunisia squad
Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmen, Bechir Ben Said, Mouez Hassen, Aymen Mathlouthi.
Defenders: Ali Abdi, Dylan Bronn, Mohamed Drager, Nader Ghandri, Bilel Ifa, Wajdi Kechrida, Ali Maaloul, Yassine Meriah, Montassar Talbi.
Midfielders: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Ghaylane Chaalali, Aissa Laidouni, Hannibal Mejbri, Ferjani Sassi, Elyas Skhiri.
Forwards: Anis Ben Slimane, Seifeddine Jaziri, Issam Jebali, Wahbi Khazri, Taha Yassine Khenissi, Youssef Msakni, Naim Sliti.
Australia squad
Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan, Andrew Redmayne, Danny Vukovic
Defenders: Milos Degenek, Fran Karacic, Nathaniel Atkinson, Bailey Wright, Aziz Behich, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Joel King, Thomas Deng
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold will have to work out how he wants to approach the game
Midfielders: Ajdin Hrustic, Aaron Mooy, Riley McGree, Jackson Irvine, Keanu Baccus, Cameron Devlin
Forwards: Marco Tilio, Mathew Leckie, Jamie Maclaren, Awer Mabil, Mitchell Duke, Craig Goodwin, Jason Cummings, Garang Kuol
Head-to-head record
It’s been over 17 years since Australia and Tunisia last met, where a brace from Francileudo Santos was enough to give the African side a 2-0 victory in the FIFA Confederations Cup back in 2005.
They have only played one game prior to that fixture, where the Socceroos won 3-0 in an international friendly in October 1997.
Group D fixtures
- Tunisia vs Australia: Saturday 26 November
- France vs Denmark: Saturday 26 November
- Tunisia vs France: Wednesday 30 November
- Australia vs Denmark: Wednesday 30 November
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