Abdelmajid Chetali (Tunisia) |
|
Collection title
Portraits of legendary footballers
First broadcast date
2007
Abstract
Abdelmajid Chetali was born in Sousse in 1939.
He was several times champion of Tunisia with 'Etoile Sportive du Sahel' in the 60's and 70's.
He was captain and coach of the Tunisian national team.
Production companies
-
COPEAM - Coproduction
- Radio Tunis International - Coproduction
Primary theme
Sport and games
Credits / Cast
- Ben Amor Karim - Journalist
- Kattou Mehdi - Journalist
- Belaid Habib - Journalist
Context
Abdelmajid Chetali
Stéphane Mourlane
Abdelmajid Chetali marked Tunisian football during his playing career, and later African football when he became a coach. He was born on July 4th 1939 in Sousse, a coastal city in southern Tunisia, and that is also where he began playing football. In 1958, he joined the Etoile Sportive du Sahel, the town’s club, which, as its name “Star” implies, wanted to spread its light throughout the region. The club had a high reputation, partly because ever since its creation in 1925 it been the standard-bearer for Tunisian nationalism, partly for its great players, known as the reds (el hamra in Arabic). Since the start of the Tunisian national championship, the players with the white star on a red jersey were rivals with the two other big Tunisian clubs Club Africain and Esperance Sportive de Tunis. Used to winning, Etoile du Sahel won the national title in 1950. The arrival in mid-field of the clairvoyant and skilled passer Chetali in 1958 coincided with their second title. In 1963, Chetali led his team to a league and championship double after an exceptional, undefeated season. Another title followed in 1968. The club was at that time directed by Dr. Hamed Karoui, whose functions as local head of neo-Destour, President Bourguiba’s party, resulted in taking over the club after its dissolution in 1961. Chetali lived through this painful episode in the club’s history which occurred after clashes between supporters during a quarter-final of the Tunisian Cup against Esperance de Tunis at the Mohammed Maârouf stadium in Sousse. His career was not affected, he was the best player of his generation. International since 1959, he wore the national team’s strip 70 times.
Once he had hung up his boots his sense of play led him to take on a coaching career. His admiration for German football, highly prized, powerful and organized though not without stereotypes, made him decide to train as a coach in Cologne. He admitted he had been influenced by the "Miracle of Berne": the victory of the German team in the 1954 World Cup against the formidable and talented Hungary, even though the country had been wiped out at the end of World War II. Having served time and learnt a lot coaching his favourite club’s youth teams, he took command of the first team and won the national title in 1972. Nevertheless it was with the Tunisian national team that he left the strongest impression. He managed to get it qualified for the 1978 World Cup after a victory over Egypt, the great nation of African football. Tunisia’s performance was sensational, partly because they were the final country to qualify for the main tournament in Argentina. Up till then Africa had never sparkled: since 1970 the continent had had only one representative. But neither Morocco, who qualified in 1970, nor Zaire, in 1974, won a single match in 1978. Tunisia therefore made football history by winning against Mexico in Rosario (3 goals to 1) before a draw (0-0) against Germany, finalist from the previous World Cup. Although their defeat against Poland stopped Tunisia from qualifying for the second round, she played well, encouraging the international football federation (FIFA) to assign a second representative to Africa for the following World Cup.
After that, Abdelmajid Chetali became a media consultant. He can legitimately claim a major role in spreading African and Tunisian football in a wider context of post-colonial geo-political assertion.
Bibliography:
Ben Haj Yahia Béchir, Etoile Sportive du Sahel : un grand d'Afrique, Tunis, BETA, 1999, 103p.
Charfeddine Moncef, L'Etoile Sportive du Sahel 1925-1975, Tunis, Steag, 1975, 124p.
Charfeddine Moncef, Il était une fois le football en Tunisie, Tunis, SAHAR, 1997, 199 p.
Latrech Béchir Abd-Essattar, 40 ans de foot en Tunisie, Ed. SAGEP.
http://www.etoile-du-sahel.com
