Libreville, Gabon (dpa) – When the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off on January 21, Ghana, Senegal and the Ivory Coast were considered the favorites. Of the three Arab-speaking countries, only Morocco was given a chance of challenging for the title at Africa's showpiece football tournament. But when the first of the quarter-finals are played on February 4, Senegal and Morocco will long have gone home and Tunisia will alone be flying the flag for north Africa or the Arab-speaking world. A stunning 2-1 victory against north African rivals Morocco and a last-gasp win against Niger, has seen the Carthage Eagles advance to the round of the last eight – ahead of their final group C match against co-hosts Gabon. One of the reasons for their unexpected success, players and coaching staff say, is that they draw inspiration from the events that unfolded in their country since December 2010 and led to the so-called Arab Spring. The death of a street vendor in Tunisia, who had set himself on fire after his wares were confiscated and he was humiliated, sparked off protest that eventually spread throughout the Arab world. This popular uprising eventually led to the downfall of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak and Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, as well as the murder of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Zouhaier Dhaouadi, who plays his club football for Club African in Tunis, told dpa that the players drew inspiration for the events in their country. “Since the revolution, players feel they have a bigger responsibility towards the Tunisian people. Life has not been easy in Tunisia since then and we have to help them recover smiles on their faces,” he said. The winger believes the revolution was one reason why the team was successful. “We now play football for the Tunisian people. That is why the national team has been more successful since the start of the revolution,” he said. FC Zurich striker Amine Chermiti is aware of the role facing the players. “For Tunisians, last year was a year of good and bad moments. As football players, our role is to help people forget their difficulties and sacrifices,” he said. “Since the revolution, and especially since the general elections this autumn, everyone is focused on politics. It is good if football can bring a little lightness and entertainment.” A period of reconstruction followed Ben Ali's flight into exile in Saudi Arabia and coach Sami Trabelsi believes that the football team has an important role to play in this process. “For our country in a reconstruction period, football is very important. The national team must contribute to reunite the country,” the former international told dpa. Elections in the country since Ben Ali stepped down, has divided the country into Islamists and those supporting a secular state and Trabelsi has urged his players to steer clear of the issue when they represent their country. “Everyone has his own opinion. Of course, we are interested in politics, like every Tunisian is. But we don't get into politics publicly. We are both athletes and democrats.” The coach said that players like French-based international Fahid Ben Khalfallah, who stated that he shaved his beard because he did not want to be associated as a supporter of the Islamist party Ennahda, had the right to his opinion. “He is free to say and to do what he wants to say. As long as players are outside the national team, they do what they want to do,” he said. “But once they wear the national colors, they have to be strictly neutral. “We don't want politicians to interfere with football, so we should not interfere with politics.” Having said that, the players are quite aware that they are not simply playing football. “We have one precise goal here in Gabon: honor our colors, and please every Tunisian. “We will not forget what occurred one year ago in our country. We still have that flame burning in us,” said Etoile du Sahel midfielder Adel Chedli. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/Y0OhL Tags: Arab Spring, CAN Section: Football, Sport, Tunisia
