Tunisia draws 0-0 with Catalonia team in friendly

By foxsports
Published

Tunisia held a Catalonia side coached by Johan Cruyff and loaded with Barcelona players to a 0-0 draw in a friendly on Friday as it prepares for the upcoming African Cup of Nations.

Catalonia's starting lineup featured five members of Spain's World Cup winning side in Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and goalkeeper Victor Valdes, but Tunisia's disciplined defense held firm throughout.

''We saw a good game. We had our chances to win in both halves, above all in the second, but we couldn't finish them off,'' Cruyff said. ''But this Tunisia team is pretty good. We were all surprised by how well they played.''

Tunisia tried to catch the hosts off guard at the start as Youssef Misakui tested Valdes with a low shot in the fourth minute.

Catalonia soon took control of possession through its Barcelona-themed midfield, and Roma striker Bojan Krkic came closest to breaking through in the 12th when his long strike from outside the area hit the post.

Tunisia threatened through its counterattacks and at the half-hour mark midfielder Oussama Darrafi headed into the arms of Valdes at close range.

Moments later Pique tapped the ball weakly straight at Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi, who also responded well to smother a pair of shots from Espanyol forward Sergio Garcia just before halftime.

Cruyff made wholesale changes after the break, and even though his side dominated and continued to create scoring chances, Tunisia never lost its nerve in defense.

''I think that there are not many teams in the world like Catalonia, because they have great players with a lot of quality,'' said Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi. ''I think that this team could win the World Cup.''

The 2012 African Cup will be played from Jan. 21 to Feb. 12 in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Tunisia, which beat the Basque Country 2-0 in a friendly on Wednesday, won the African Cup in 2004.

Cruyff, an former Barcelona player and coach, returned to the touchline after a 13-year absence when he agreed to take charge of Catalonia's team in December 2009. He coached it to friendly wins over Argentina (4-2) and Honduras (4-0) before this draw.

Catalonia, like other Spanish regions such as the Basque Country, competes in friendlies against international teams but isn't permitted to play in official competitions.