Date: 02-06-1978
Stage: first round
Place: ROSARIO
Running time: 105 min.
Colour: PAL
Quality: HD 1080 50fps (9,5)
Commentary: MULTI : english/spanish(new)/arabian
My rating: ***
Notes: Sanchez,Cuellar
MATCH SUMMARY
Friday, 2 June 1978, 16:45
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario
Attendance: 17,396
Meteo: Cool, partly cloudy, 16°C
TUNISIA
Mokhtar Naili
Mokhtar Dhouib
Amor Jebali
Ali Kaabi
Mohsen Labidi
Mohammed Ben Rehaiem
Tarak Dhiab
Nejib Ghommidh
Mohamed Ali Akid
Abderraouf Ben Aziza
Temime Lahzami (c)
Coach: Majid Chetali (TUN)
81′ ↓Abderraouf Ben Aziza ↑Slah Karoui
88′ ↓Temime Lahzami ↑Khemais Labidi
MEXICO
Jose Pilar Reyes
Jesus Martinez
Eduardo Ramos Escobedo
Alfredo Tena
Arturo Vazquez Ayala (c)
Leonardo Cuellar
Antonio de la Torre
Guillermo Mendizabal
Raul ‘Cora’ Isiordia
Victor Rangel Ayala
Hugo Sanchez
Coach: Jose Antonio Roca (MEX)
67′ ↓Guillermo Mendizabal ↑Gerado Lugo Gomez
Referee: John Robertson Gordon (SCO)
Goals:
45′ Arturo Vazquez Ayala (p) MEX
55′ Ali Kaabi TUN
79′ Nejib Ghommidh TUN
87′ Mokhtar Dhouib TUN
Match overview
Tunisia made World Cup history by securing their first-ever victory at the tournament with a remarkable 3-1 comeback win over Mexico in Rosario. After falling behind to Vazquez Ayala’s penalty just before half-time, the Carthage Eagles responded with three second-half goals from Kaabi, Ghommidh and Dhouib to claim a famous victory.
Trivia
This match marked the first time an African nation had won a World Cup match, breaking new ground for the continent. The victory came in front of 25,000 spectators at the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito in Rosario, with Tunisia’s tactical discipline and second-half determination proving decisive against the CONCACAF champions.
