From 1993 through 2004, Tunisian soccer defender Radhi Jaidi had an extensive football career with Espérance Sportive de Tunis, making 288 appearances with the team. During this time his club won the country’s premier league eight times (1994, 1998-2004), the Tunisian President’s Cup twice (1997, 1999), the 1994 African Cup of Champions Clubs, the 1995 CAF Super Cup, and the 1997 CAF Cup. He then transferred to the Bolton Wanderers F.C. for two seasons, making him the first Tunisian to play in the English Premier League. After a three year stint with Birmingham City F.C., his contract was not renewed in 2009 and he was quickly picked up by Southampton F.C., with whom he won the Football League Trophy (a tournament for the lower two divisions of the English football league system) in 2010. He has been a member of the Tunisian national team since 1996, when he played in all three of Tunisia’s matches at the 1996 Summer Olympic football tournament, although his country failed to advance beyond the preliminary round. After an appearance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he encountered his greatest success two years later when Tunisia captured the 2004 African Cup of Nations. After an unsuccessful run at the 2006 FIFA World Cup he captained the national squad at the 2008 African Cup of Nations, but they were eliminated in the quarter finals.
Tunisia