Classy Khazri goal gives Tunisia victory over Costa Rica

Supporters of Esperance Sportive light torches as they support their team during the Tunisian Professional League 1 football match in Ben Arous, Tunisia on 18 May 2017 [Amine Landoulsi/Anadolu Agency]

Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazri emphasised his potential worth at this year’s World Cup with a classy first-half goal to hand the north Africans a 1-0 win over fellow finalists Costa Rica in a friendly played on the French Riviera on Tuesday.

Khazri, 27, might not have set the Premier League alight with Sunderland last season but he sent a clear message about his match-winning ability to England, as well as Belgium and Panama who will share Group G in Russia in June.

He ran onto a ball played over his head from inside his own half, controlled it and swept past a defender before striking it against goalkeeper Keylor Navas and then getting his foot to the rebound first in the 36th minute for the only goal of the game.

The strike by Khazri, who is on loan at Stade Rennes, earned a second win in five days for Tunisia who beat Iran 1-0 at home on Friday when Costa Rica, who are in Group E with Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland, won by the same score away to Scotland.

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