'Where is Mbappe?!' Tunisian fans relish in beating France despite disqualification

Record ID: 1700150

  • Title: 'Where is Mbappe?!' Tunisian fans relish in beating France despite disqualification
  • Date: 30th November 2022
  • Summary: AL RAYYAN, QATAR (NOVEMBER 30, 2022) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) TUNISIA FANS WALKING AWAY FROM STADIUM TUNISIAN FANS INCLUDING CHILDREN POSING FOR CAMERA TUNISIAN FANS JUMPING UP AND DOWN, SOME SAYING (French) “Where is Mbappe?”/ FANS CHANTING, ONE KISSING TUNISIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) TUNISIA FAN FROM KORBA, FATIMA NAFATI SAYING: “Amazing, amazing. We didn’t have a lot of hopes, and the guys they did great. It was a fantastic match.” FANS WALKING AWAY FROM STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) TUNISIAN ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR IN A DOHA SHOPPING MALL, AMIR YEFERNI, SAYING: “Actually we are a little bit disappointed because we lost against Australia, and we didn’t qualify to the next stage. Actually, they did a great game today and we won 1-0. Thanks to Allah. It’s okay. But God willing, in the next World Cup we will qualify to the next stage.” TUNISIA FAN WAVING FLAG AND SAYING (French): “Long live Tunisia!” TUNISIA FAN SAYING (French): “Tunisia beat France!”/ ANOTHER TUNISIA FAN STANDING IN FRONT OF FRENCH FLAG, SAYING (Arabic): “Mbappe, where is he? We broke his eye?” FANS SAYING (French): “Where is Mbappe?” (SOUNDBITE) (French) SALES DIRECTOR FROM TUNIS, ALI BHAR, SAYING: “Normally Morocco and Senegal will play well in their next matches. And of course Saudi Arabia. They played well against Argentina and I hope it will continue this way.” FRENCH EXPAT LIVING IN DOHA, ANAIS FLAMME, WALKING WITH FRENCH FLAG FRENCH EXPAT LIVING IN DOHA, ANAIS FLAMME, SAYING (French): “It’s great, they won. I’m happy for them (Tunisia). In any case we already qualified. We gave them the victory.” SPECTATORS OUTSIDE STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH CONSTRUCTION WORKER FROM PARIS REGION, YANIS TALEB, SAYING: ”It’s not a big deal. We’re coming out on top of our group. We play on Sunday against the second placed in another group. What’s important is qualifying. It’s a shame we lost, but that’s how it is.” SPECTATORS WALKING AWAY FROM STADIUM DOHA, QATAR (NOVEMBER 30, 2022) (REUTERS) FANS WATCHING AT SAUDI ARABIA-ORGANISED SPECTATORS ZONE TUNISIA FANS WATCHING MATCH FAN WATCHING FANS WATCHING AND REACTING TO GOAL, CELEBRATING/ TWO FANS HUGGING FANS WATCHING FANS SHOUTING, JUMPING UP AND DOWN SAYING (Arabic): “1-0! 1-0!” (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN EXPAT IN DOHA, ABEER AWAISHA, SAYING: “We didn’t expect this result, because France is a strong team. Thank God we were the better team and we played very well, and thank God for the win.” ARAB FAN SMILING FANS IN SAUDI TENT
  • Embargoed: 14th December 2022 18:37
  • Keywords: FIFA World Cup fans
  • Location: AL RAYYAN AND DOHA, QATAR
  • City: AL RAYYAN AND DOHA, QATAR
  • Country: Qatar
  • Topics: Middle East,Sport,World Cup
  • Reuters ID: LVA001323029112022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tunisians celebrated a historic but bittersweet World Cup victory over France on Wednesday (November 30) as they defeated their former colonial power but still crashed out of a tournament marked by a remarkable string of Arab wins over soccer powerhouses.
    Fans waved their national flag at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, savouring the moment even though their side did not make it through to the last 16 of the Qatar World Cup, the first in an Arab country.
    The victory marked another proud World Cup moment for Arab fans still celebrating Saudi Arabia's historic win over Argentina and Morocco's defeat of Belgium - victories applauded across the Arab region despite its deep political divisions.
    “Normally Morocco and Senegal will play well in their next matches. And of course Saudi Arabia. They played well against Argentina and I hope it will continue this way,” said Ali Bhar from Tunis, after watching the France-Tunisia game.
    In Qatar, Saudi fans awaiting their country's decisive match against Mexico later on Wednesday celebrated Tunisia's win, another show of the pan-Arab unity that has been a feature of the tournament, said Abeer Awaisha, a Tunisian fan in Qatar.
    "We didn’t expect (Tunisia to defeat France) because France is a strong team but thank God we were better and we played very well and thank God for winning," Awaisha said.
    Many Tunisians planned to watch Saudi Arabia's decisive match against Mexico later on Wednesday.
    Saudi Arabia are seeking to make it into the last 16 for the first time since their debut at the tournament in 1994.
    Morocco, in second place in their group but level on four points with top team Croatia, play their final group game against Canada on Thursday.
    If both Saudi Arabia and Morocco get through, it would be the first time two Arab sides have made it out of the group stage.
    Host nation Qatar have been knocked out.
    Some Arab leaders attending the World Cup have echoed the sense of pan-Arab solidarity during matches.
    Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - who have mended ties after years of animosity - wrapped scarves and flags of each other's country around them as they watched their matches.
    (Production: Hamuda Hassan, Michaela Cabrera)
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