 Kutevera ruzivo rwavo rwekutanga rweWorld Cup nhabvu, Tunisia yakasangana nekudonha kamwe kamwe mushure mekufamba kwevarairidzi veTunisia vakaita saAmeur Hizem naHmid Dhib avo vakabvisa timu mumakundano eWorld Cup muna 1982 vachipesana neNigeria kunyangwe hazvo vatambi vazhinji vaitamba mushanduro yapfuura. Pakati pa1980 na1992, chikwata chakakwanisa kupinda mumakwikwi maviri chete - 1982 African Cup of Nations.uye Mitambo yeOlympic yeZhizha ya1988 uye mumakwikwi ose ari maviri vakakandirwa panze mumutambo wokutanga. Muchokwadi, Tunisia yakakodzera kuenda kuAfrican Cup yakaitirwa neakavakidzana neLibya nemurairidzi wePoland Ryszard Kulesza mushure mekurambidzwa mu1980 African Cup asi yakawana mhedzisiro yakaipa: yakaita naCameroon 11 mumutambo wekutanga isati yakundwa neLibya 20 neGhana 10 kuti ibve nepfungwa imwe chete. Kulesza akakundikanawo kukwanisa kuenda kuAfrican Cup muna 1984 mushure mekukundwa neEgypt, izvo zvakakurumidza kubuda kwake. Murairidzi Youssef Zouaoui akagadzwa kuti atungamirire timu iyi uye akatanga zvakanaka nekukunda mitambo yeushamwari neNigeria 50 neCanada 20 uye zvakare akapfuura Benin neGuinea mumakwikwi ekutanga eWorld Cup qualifiers muna 1986. Zvisinei, akakundikana kukwanisa kuenda kuAfrican Cup of Nations muna 1986 mushure mekukundwa nechikwata cheLibya, icho chaive chakasimba panguva iyoyo. Asi izvozvo hazvina kuvadzivisa kusvika munharaunda yekupedzisira yeWorld Cup qualifiers nekurova Nigeria vasati vakundwa pamberi peAlgeria, iyo yakakodzera kechipiri. 