Tunisia have been somewhat in a handball purgatory over the last years, after winning the President’s Cup – finishing on the 25th place – at the previous two editions of the IHF Men’s World Championship, at Egypt 2021 and Poland/Sweden 2023. By no means missing out on a main round berth was a success for the African side, which is in definite need of improvement, were they to secure a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The African side took part at the Olympic Games four times, at Munich 1972, Sydney 2000, London 2012 and Rio 2016, with their best result being the eight place in 2012, when they made it for the first time in history for the quarter-finals. Since then, Tunisia also secured a 11th place at the 2013 IHF Men’s World Championship, yet they lacked the impetus to try and build something better.

This time around, Tunisia will have their work cut out, as they will be definite underdogs in the Olympic Qualification Tournament #3, played in Tatabanya, Hungary, where only two teams between Norway, Hungary, Portugal and Tunisia will earn their tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Tunisia have won only four of the last 14 matches played against European teams at the IHF Men’s World Championship, therefore making it an even harder proposition to secure a win here, which would enable the African side to dream even higher. Two of those wins came against Austria and one against North Macedonia, arguably teams with a lower threshold than Norway, Hungary and Portugal, the opponents in the Olympic Qualification Tournament #3 for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Still, Tunisia earned their ticket for this competition by finishing third at the 2024 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship, having lost against eventual winners Egypt, 25:30, in the semi-finals, and cruising in the bronze medal match against Cape Verde, 35:28. 

With experienced players like Oussama Boughanmi and Mohamed Darmoul in their roster, as the latter features in Germany at club level for GWD Minden, Tunisia might be a dark horse here, providing all the right drama. Yet they will need a definite improvement from the previous Olympic Qualification Tournaments, when they lost in more or less the same configuration of a group, with three European teams, 27:34 against rivals Portugal, 29:40 against France and 27:30 against Croatia.

Key players: Oussama Boughanmi (left wing), Mosbah Sanai (left back), Mohamed Darmoul (centre back)
History at the Olympic Games: 1972: 16th, 2000: 10th, 2012: 8th, 2016: 12th   
Olympic Qualification Tournament #3 (in Tatabanya, Hungary): Norway, Hungary, Portugal, Tunisia