Hand – TQO – Three straight defeats for the Tunisian team: Cazal and Hmam must take responsibility!

The national coach and his assistant failed to put together a cohesive team worthy of the Tunisian handball tradition.

Three “bewildering” defeats for the Tunisian team in the Hungarian Olympic Qualification Tournament (TQO) resulted in a failed qualification for the Olympics. In any case, a team that loses by large margins in three matches without any reaction does not deserve a place at the Olympics at all. Was this poor and inexplicable performance expected? Frankly, no. Certainly, winning three matches and securing a ticket to the Paris Games was not expected either, but at the very least, we hoped to win one match, and we especially hoped for determination and fight to defend the reputation of Tunisian handball. We are not a rising handball country, and Patrick Cazal, the national coach, and Wissem Hmam, his assistant, did not appreciate this fact adequately. Losing easily and by significant margins at this level is not a simple matter that can go unnoticed. On the contrary, this poor collective performance is the result of poor choices, rushed preparation, and incorrect management on the part of Cazal and his assistant. This duo must take responsibility for their choices and their way of motivating and utilizing their players. Throughout the three matches, the Tunisian team could not keep up with the pace of three different opponents with equally different styles of play. Cazal may rotate his squad, use all three goalkeepers, but no solution was found. Are they world-class players?

Should we also be “harsh” towards players who may be of high quality on paper but were off the mark during the Olympic Qualification Tournament? Certainly, we cannot solely blame the coach and his assistant; the players, the federation board, and, primarily, Karim H’lali, also have a responsibility to shoulder in everything that transpired. But in handball, a sport that demands so much and is complex, the coach holds a central role in the game and in managing matches. It is up to him to piece together the puzzle and to effectively communicate with his players so that they can perform to their best on game day.

No Impact

The impact of a coach is more visible in defense than in the offensive phase, as in other sports. In this case, we had a fragile defense and open “lanes” for opponents to exploit. Defensive rotations, physical presence to block opposing back players, positioning, and defensive transitions were all glaring deficiencies. How can Cazal and Hmam defend themselves? Because it is possible to lose a match, but to lose by margins of 17 goals (against Norway), 8 goals (against Portugal), and 9 goals (against Hungary), with a bizarre collective resignation, indicates the need for a change of course. With this heterogeneous group that includes veteran players, newcomers, expatriate players led by Darmoul, and other local players competing in a mediocre league where ES Tunis dominates all others, a foundation for the future cannot be built. Cazal has spent a year and a half “floundering” and “experimenting” without any quality towards the end. This group of players must be reassessed and reorganized, but it must be led by a more experienced and passionate staff! The time for change is now!