For the first time ever, Tunisia and Burkina Faso will go head-to-head in a setting that bears no competitive stakes, as both nations prepare to square off at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium on Monday evening.
While their five previous meetings have come across World Cup qualifiers and Africa Cup of Nations ties, the Carthage Eagles are still searching for their first win in this fixture.
Match preview
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After losing the inaugural meeting via penalties, Tunisia have since endured a barren spell against Burkina Faso, losing three and drawing one of the subsequent four encounters, while failing to find the net in each of the last three showdowns.
Nevertheless, the hosts come into this tie riding the wave of successive victories after grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liberia before brushing aside Malawi 2-0 in their most recent World Cup qualifier, with the results keeping Sami Trabelsi's men comfortably perched atop Group H.
With 16 points on the board, Tunisia currently hold a four-point cushion over second-placed Namibia, and with four more fixtures to navigate, they are strongly poised to secure what would be a third consecutive appearance on the global stage.
This friendly marks the first of three tune-up matches for the North Africans in the space of eight days, with further meetings against Morocco and Zambia lined up, and these encounters are expected to build rhythm ahead of the decisive qualifying stretch.
September will see the Carthage Eagles face Liberia once again before taking on Equatorial Guinea, followed by an October schedule that features clashes against Sao Tome and Principe as well as the final clash against Namibia.
Their latest run of victories has also had an effect on the global scene, with Tunisia rising three places in the most recent FIFA rankings to occupy 49th spot, and these friendlies will go a long way in determining where they stand when the next update is released in July.
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Burkina Faso have also seen their own efforts rewarded, climbing two places to reach 64th in the rankings, and the Stallions will be looking to ride that momentum as they continue to push for their first-ever World Cup appearance.
That rise came off the back of two confident outings in March, where Brama Traore's men swept past Djibouti with a 4-1 win before edging Guinea Bissau 2-1 to keep pace at the top of Group A, where they now trail Egypt by five points with four games to go.
Currently second in their pool, Burkina sit eighth overall in the CAF runners-up ranking, from which only four teams will proceed to the inter-confederation playoff, making every point from here on critical in what is shaping up to be a frantic qualifying finish.
Victory here would serve as a timely boost and offer further encouragement ahead of another friendly encounter against Zimbabwe, scheduled for four days later, before the Stallions resume their qualification campaign.
That next phase will begin with a visit to Djibouti and a home tie against Egypt in September's crucial doubleheader, after which Burkina will wrap up their group duties by travelling to Sierra Leone and hosting Ethiopia in October.
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Team News
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Tunisia head coach Trabelsi has announced a 26-man squad for the upcoming friendly encounters, with the list featuring four goalkeepers, nine defenders, six midfielders and seven forwards.
Experienced names such as Aissa Laidouni and Montassar Talbi headline the selection, with the former reaching 50 caps and the latter just one short of that milestone.
Al-Gharafa's Ferjani Sassi and former Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri are among the players shortlisted in midfield.
Burkina Faso boss Traore has named a 27-man selection of his own, blending a strong home-based contingent with as many as 13 stars who ply their trade outside the country.
The defensive line will be anchored by the tried and tested Issoufou Dayo, who boasts 82 caps, and Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, who has 51 appearances for the national team.
Captain Bertrand Traore leads the attack as the most seasoned figure in the group, with 83 caps and 22 goals under his belt.
Tunisia possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Valery, Talbi, Bronn, Abdi; Sassi, Laidouni, Hannibal; Tounekti, Chaouat, Larbi
Burkina Faso possible starting lineup:
Koffi; Kabore, Tapsoba, Dayo, Nagalo; Simpore, Badolo, Tiendrebeogo; Bouda, Konate, B. Traore
We say: Tunisia 2-1 Burkina Faso
Although Tunisia are yet to win against Burkina Faso in previous meetings, this feels like a timely opportunity for them to finally break that hoodoo, especially with the confidence of home support and recent form on their side, though they may still concede given that the visitors have found the net in each of their last six matches across all competitions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
