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Report: Fahid Ben Khalfallah Turns Down Tunisia Call-Up
The Valenciennes midfielder was meant to arrive in Tunisia on Saturday but never got on board his flight.
Dec 28, 2009 12:09:59 AM
Tunisian national team coach Faouzi Benzarti held a press
conference in Sousse today to offer an update on the state of the Carthage
Eagles’ preparations but it was news regarding a player who was not
present that ended up stealing the show as it was revealed that Valenciennes
midfielder Fahid Ben Khalfallah had informed the Tunisian FA that he would no
longer be taking part in the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
“As for players plying their trade outside Tunisia, we had already talked to Alaeddine [Yahia] and he explained his choice not to come and was clear. Same thing goes for [Mehdi] Nafti who was clear. However, Fahid has surprised me. He was supposed to be here yesterday,” explained the tactician.
“His ticket was waiting for him at the airport yesterday in Paris so he could make it but sadly at the last moment he informed us that he wasn’t coming. This is something that concerns him but I called all our players who are abroad three to four weeks before their call-up to see if they wanted to play.”
According to Mosaique FM, the Tunisian Football Federation is set on taking the necessary administrative actions against the player and reporting him to FIFA so that he is barred from representing his club side while the Carthage Eagles are in Angola.
Ben Khalfallah has not spoken to the press to offer his side of the story but football fans in the North African country are eagerly anticipating his justification, especially considering many of them were opposed to his recruitment in the first place after he turned down an opportunity to represent Tunisia at the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana.
Rami Ayari, Goal.com
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“As for players plying their trade outside Tunisia, we had already talked to Alaeddine [Yahia] and he explained his choice not to come and was clear. Same thing goes for [Mehdi] Nafti who was clear. However, Fahid has surprised me. He was supposed to be here yesterday,” explained the tactician.
“His ticket was waiting for him at the airport yesterday in Paris so he could make it but sadly at the last moment he informed us that he wasn’t coming. This is something that concerns him but I called all our players who are abroad three to four weeks before their call-up to see if they wanted to play.”
According to Mosaique FM, the Tunisian Football Federation is set on taking the necessary administrative actions against the player and reporting him to FIFA so that he is barred from representing his club side while the Carthage Eagles are in Angola.
Ben Khalfallah has not spoken to the press to offer his side of the story but football fans in the North African country are eagerly anticipating his justification, especially considering many of them were opposed to his recruitment in the first place after he turned down an opportunity to represent Tunisia at the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana.
Rami Ayari, Goal.com
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|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
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