Carthage Eagles manager Sami Trabelsi has revealed that they attempted to persuade Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan to represent Tunisia.
Haissem Hassan, 23, holds multiple nationalities and is eligible to play for either Egypt, France, or Tunisia at senior level.
Speaking at a press conference, Trabelsi explained: “When I took charge of Tunisia, I asked about Haissem Hassan. We reached out, met him with his father present, and discussed the possibility of joining us. But he told us he is closer to playing for Egypt.”
Despite that response, Trabelsi insisted Tunisia have not given up: “We have not closed the door. There are still contacts and ongoing discussions with him.”
This is not the first time that the Tunisian FA had reached out to Haissem Hassan. In September 2024, it was reported that they were in “urgent talks” with the player to play for the Tunisian national team.
However, nothing seemed to have materialized, despite previous manager Faouzi Benzarti’s insistence on trying to convince the player to represent the Carthage Eagles.
The winger, who came through Villarreal’s system before joining Real Oviedo in Spain’s Segunda División, recently impressed by providing an assist in Oviedo’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga.