The Mt Kenya Times 
By Norman Mwale
“Fantastic. Great performance. It was solid. We could have scored more. All credit to the players who were fantastic.” — Graham Potter, Sweden manager
Sweden announced themselves as serious contenders at World Cup 2026 with a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on Sunday, a result that sent them top of Group F after an attacking masterclass that left the North African side chasing shadows for long periods. The Blue and Yellow struck early and never relinquished control, with Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari opening the scoring in the 7th minute after a Tunisian clearance fell to him 20 yards out, his first-time strike flashing into the top corner for a goal he muted out of respect for his father’s birthplace. Alexander Isak doubled the advantage in the 30th minute, collecting a pass from Viktor Gyokeres, cutting inside from the left and drilling a low finish into the bottom corner that gave goalkeeper Abdelmouhib Chamakh no chance. Tunisia briefly revived hopes just before half-time when Omar Rekik glanced home a header from Hannibal Mejbri’s delivery in the 43rd minute, but any momentum was snuffed out after the break.
Viktor Gyokeres restored Sweden’s two-goal cushion 14 minutes into the second half, the Arsenal striker finishing clinically in the 59th minute after dispossessing Ellyes Skhiri on the edge of the area and combining with Isak. Substitute Mattias Svanberg then made it 4-1 in the 84th minute, sweeping home from inside the box just 18 seconds after coming on, a goal initially flagged offside but awarded after VAR detected a slight touch from Isak that played him onside. Ayari had the final word deep into stoppage time, hammering a second wonder strike in the 90th minute plus six to complete his brace and seal a rout that was Sweden’s biggest World Cup win since 1938. “Sweden powered to a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia to move top of Group F,” reports confirmed, with Ayari’s two long-range goals bookending a performance that also featured goals from Isak, Gyokeres and Svanberg, while Rekik netted Tunisia’s consolation.
Sweden manager Graham Potter praised the composure of his side after the final whistle, saying “Fantastic. Great performance. It was solid. We could have scored more. All credit to the players who were fantastic. I thought the boys remained calm after conceding and maintained a threat, which was important for us.” Ayari, whose brace came either side of the game in the 7th and 96th minutes, reflected on the emotional context of scoring against Tunisia, the country of his father’s birth, while Isak added that the team’s movement and pace caused constant problems. Tunisia manager Sabri Lamouchi was candid in defeat, noting “It’s a big loss, obviously. It’s not the best way to start this competition, but we paid for our mistakes. The quality of our opponent made the difference. With these kinds of players, simple mistakes are difficult to manage.” With three points and a superior goal difference, Sweden now sit atop Group F and will look to press home their advantage in the next round of fixtures, while Tunisia must regroup quickly knowing they were punished for every error against a ruthless Swedish attack.
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