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Hannibal primed for World Cup debut

The midfielder has been gaining valuable experience on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship and could now be thrust into the global spotlight during the big tournament in Qatar.

After being allocated the no.8 jersey, he was included in the starting line-up for the 2-1 victory on Wednesday with coach Jalel Kadri fielding Hannibal, alongside Wahbi Khazri and Youssef Msakni, in a three-man attack.

Tunisia won the friendly – played behind closed doors at the request of the Iran football federation – with goals from Naim Sliti and Ali Abdi.

With coach Kadri working hard to establish a tactical game-plan for the contest with the highly rated Danes (and United's Christian Eriksen), it suggests Hannibal has a good chance of playing in Al Rayyan, with further tests to come against Australia and France, the country of his birth.