Tunisia beat Panama 2-1 in their final Group G match of the tournament and secured their first World Cup win in 30 years. Former Sunderland forward Wahbi Khazri scored the winning goal to complete Tunisia’s comeback after Panama lead for the first time in the tournament.
Panama captain and 99kg centre back Roman Torres rolled the ball to Jose Luis Rodriguez whose shot from the edge of the box deflected off of a defender and wrong-footed Tunisia’s third choice goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi as it travelled into the net to open the scoring. Tunisia were playing the better football and were back in the game after the break when Ben Youssef was left unmarked in the six yard box and tapped in Khazri’s low cross.The comeback was completed in the 66th minute when Khazri wrapped up the game and secured Tunisia’s first World Cup win since beating Mexico 3-0 in 1978.
A well worked Tunisian move was rounded off by Khazri who was well placed to tap Oussama Haddadi’s low cross into the net.The match was a dead rubber with both teams already eliminated from the tournament but there was plenty of action on show.
Torres, who has the attraction of a film star in Panama, was cruelly forced off an hour into the game with a leg injury which helped Tunisia see out a their win.