Football
Reuters 18y

Soccer-World-Ghodhbane's vast experience will benefit Tunisia

JOHANNESBURG, May 26 - Tunisian midfielder Kaies
Ghodhbane has been a national team regular for more than a
decade and a winner of almost every honour in the African game.

The occasional captain of the Tunisian side now plays in
Turkey but at 30 is still a key member of Roger Lemerre's squad.

A veteran of 88 internationals, Ghodhbane has played at six
African Nations Cup finals, winning the 2004 edition and gaining
a runners-up medal in 1996.

At Etoile Sahel, he won the African Cup Winners' Cup in
1997, the African Super Cup the next year and scored the key
goal as his club overcame Wydad Casablanca of Morocco to win the
Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup in 1999.

Ghodhbane was named the Arab Footballer of the Year the same
year.

He also won the Tunisian league and cup with the club from
Sousse, whom he joined aged 18 from SC Moknine.

The trip to Germany will mark a third successive World Cup
finals for the midfielder and Ghodhbane concedes it will be his
last.

"It is the crowning of my sporting career and the fruit of
hard work both on and off the field," he said.

His club career has taken him from Tunisia to Turkey via the
United Arab Emirates.

This February, after returning from the Nations Cup finals
in Egypt, he moved from Samsunspor to Konyaspor, where his busy
midfield style has made him one of the better performers in this
campaign.

In the Tunisian side he will find heavy competition for
places in the middle of the park but vast tournament experience
is likely to give him the nod from coach Lemerre.

^ Back to Top ^