This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
On July 12, 2019, Tunisia made history by advancing to the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations, marking their first appearance in the last four since hosting the 2004 edition.
The Carthage Eagles, ranked second in the continent and 25th globally, had reached the quarter-finals without winning a single game, relying on four successive draws.
Against Madagascar, Tunisia's Wahbi Khazri returned to the starting lineup, and Marco Ilaimaharitra came back from suspension, as the team fielded the same lineup used throughout the group phase.
Madagascar, seeking to become the first newcomers since South Africa in 1996 to reach the semi-finals, were ultimately defeated by Tunisia's superior performance.
The turning point came when Ferjani Sassi's deflected strike gave Tunisia the lead early in the second half, followed by Youssef Msakni's goal on 60 minutes, and Naim Sliti's injury-time strike sealed the win.
