Team Tunisia head coach Cevin Conrad will lead his team in its first ever game in Tunisia and first game against another nation Saturday, November 23 in Tunis when the Tunisian national team takes on Team Morocco.
This will be the second game in the team’s short history. In 2017, Team Tunisia defeated the French club team, Saint Denis Monarchs (Ile-de-France (regional championship semi-finalists) 42-0.
AFI: You are coaching maybe the biggest game the Tunisian national team has ever played. What is the mood of the team?
Condrad: Making history is exciting. Being part of the 1st game ever to be played in Tunisia is a real motivator for the players and staff. They are all very focused
AFI: What has the hype been like around this game?
Conrad: The hype is pretty amazing, Radio stations and News Centers have been sending reporters to us this week every day. We did a School Promotion with 70 kids and the Mayor and Sports Minister came by and we even had a police escort for the team bus with lights and sirens blazing. Instagram and Facebook are being fed every day. It is fun for the players.
AFI: The last time this team played was two years ago. What kind of preparations have you had to make for this game?
Conrad: I have regular meetings in Germany with the coaching staff and the quarterbacks took time to come out and stay at my home this summer to prepare. The team has flown in to Tunisia from all over Europe for a 5 day camp this week before the game.
AFI: How much do you know about your opponents, Morocco?
Conrad: We know some of the players from Morocco because some play in France but because games like this are rare, there isn’t too much info to collect.
AFI: How far has football progressed in Tunisia?
Conrad: This is the beginning here. The idea is that this sparks interest and that football becomes a “Thing” in Tunisia. We have been working hard to convince the local and national government and private agencies to help develop the sport. There are talks about teaching football in the universities to educators and then in schools and to start a School flag football concept for P:E. classes and and after school leagues.
AFI: Many of the players are your team play on club teams in Europe. How difficult is it to select a national team?
Condrad: All of our players play in club teams in Europe, Finland, Germany, France, Turkey, Italy, Poland and new ones will be coming from Austria. We also will have players involved from Canada and the USA.