Nabil Maaloul quits Tunisia job to join Qatari champions Al-Duhail
Maaloul was able to help Tunisia reach the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years and managed to finish third in their group.
Nabil Maaloul has stepped down from his coaching post with Tunisia to join Qatari side Al-Duhail as their new manager. The 55-year-old tactician takes over from Djamel Belmadi, who recently left the club and is expected to be named as the Algerian national team’s new manager.
"Tunisian coach Nabil Maaloul (will be) the new technical manager of the football team," the club said in a statement.
Al-Duhail record historic treble
Last season, under Belmadi, Al-Duhail became the first team in Qatar to claim a treble, as they won the league, the Qatar Cup and the Emir of Qatar Cup. Currently, the team is in the last eight of the AFC Champions League, which is due to resume next month.
Partly successful World Cup
Maaloul led Tunisia to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years. In Russia, the Carthage Eagles managed to win one game, beating Panama 2-1 in their final group match to finish third in a group which produced two semi-finalists: Belgium and England.
The win against Panama was Tunisia’s first World Cup victory in over 40 years, when the North African side defeated Mexico 3-1 at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
After Tunisia’s elimination from Russia, the country’s federation was keen on retaining Maaloul as coach, however, the Qatari club is said to have tabled an irresistible offer. Qatar is a country which Maaloul knows well, as he coached El-Jaish back in 2014.