Wahbi Khazri, Tunisia Down Panama 2-1 in Final Match at 2018 World Cup

Tunisia went down fighting in their final 2018 FIFA World Cup outing and beat debutants Panama 2-1 on Thursday to ensure they avoided the wooden spoon finish in Group G.  

Wahbi Khazri was the star of the show and assisted one goal before netting the winner, with a Yassine Meriah own-goal having given Panama a surprise lead at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk.

Tunisia's second World Cup win and their first since 1978 didn't come against the most daunting of opponents, but they can at least leave Russia with some pride intact after ending their tournament with a bang.

Fans Deserved Better Than Uninspired Performances

It's not every day you get to play at a World Cup, particularly if you're a country of Panama or Tunisia's stature, so it was a surprise to see the two teams play so tentatively at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk.

Panama had never won a World Cup game coming into the match—this being their first appearance—while Tunisia were seeking their first victory at a finals in some 40 years, so needless to say the motivation to end those droughts was clear.

It was only after half-an-hour of tetchy testing of one another that Panama midfielder Jose Luis Rodriguez showed some intent in front of goal, seeing his effort bounce in off Meriah, via Fox Soccer (U.S. only):

The scrappy strike was perhaps befitting of the game witnessed up until that point, which was lacking in desire considering both teams had so little to lose, via ITV Football (UK only):

Tunisia eventually rustled out of their stasis and scored twice in 15 minutes to go ahead, but not before allowing Panama, ranked 55th in the FIFA rankings, to leave their mark in Russia:

What followed was slightly embarrassing on behalf of the north Africans, however, as they looked content to sit on their 70 per cent-plus advantage in possession, per WhoScored.com, in what should have been a fun end to proceedings.

No future in the tournament to play for and a world watching; one would think those are the tools needed to encourage flair, innovation and the desire to stake a claim on some international pride.

Nabil Maaloul's men showed very little intent to come out of their headquarters after taking a lead for the first time at this World Cup, which is a shame for the spirit of the competition.

Panama were ultimately shown to be lacking in quality at their first World Cup—as many might have expected prior to the tournament—but their meeting with Tunisia could have provided much more than it did.

Lack of Urgency Typifies Tunisia's Torrid World Cup

Though they came away with the win Thursday, Tunisia had reason to turn in a much more impressive display in their World Cup send-off, being the last African team to feature and with the easiest opponent one could hope to finish opposite.

Egypt or Saudi Arabia might be the only competition for Panama as the worst performers in Russia, although journalist Neal Collins illustrated how the African nations haven't quite lived up to expectations:

Tunisia had 14 total shots against Panama, per WhoScored.com, but only five of those came about in the second half, when they had the opportunity to go for the killer blow and demonstrate some seniority in this, their fifth World Cup.

Instead, they wound up just about edging a team whose joint-top scorer at this World Cup is "own-goal."

In the first half, Tunisia took their time too much in imposing themselves upon the game and were punished by going behind. Sure, opening up runs more risk of leaving yourself clearer to concede, but at this end of the tournament, there isn't much reason to care.

There are few who will look back to this competition and remember Tunisia's 2-1 comeback win over Panama, just the second in their history at these finals. Showing too much concern for running risks against Belgium and England ultimately told the story of their World Cup, and a stale campaign in Russia closed with a similar ending.

Saint-Etienne Fans Should Be Excited After Khazri's WC Performance

For the second game in succession, Khazri contributed a performance worthy of etching his name as Tunisia's best player at this World Cup, despite the fact it's been a disappointing campaign all things considered.

Following Sunderland's relegation from the Championship to League One, L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News) reported a deal for his sale has been agreed with Ligue 1 outfit Saint-Etienne, although Rennes also made an offer for their former loanee.

As he did in the 5-2 defeat to Belgium on Saturday, the 27-year-old assisted one goal before scoring one himself, and ITV captured his deft touch across the area for Fakhreddine Ben Youssef's equaliser (UK only):

It was only a quarter-of-an-hour later that Tunisia's vice-captain capitalised on their momentum and swept in Oussama Haddadi's flashed ball across the area, via Fox Soccer (U.S. only):

ITV provided footage for UK viewers:

Say what you might of Tunisia's performances, but there's little doubting Khazri as their offensive spark. 

There have been questions regarding the attacking midfielder's resolve following back-to-back relegations on Wearside, although professional FIFA player Ivan Lapanje showed how they might be wide of the mark after his late goal against Belgium:

His talent may have been shrouded by Sunderland's recent misery, but Khazri has the capacity to be a special player at times and could be a hit if the former Bordeaux man completes a return to France's top flight.

What's Next?

Both teams will head home after exiting the World Cup, with Tunisia ending third in Group G while Panama finish in fourth as only the second team to fail in clinching a point at this World Cup (Egypt were the other in Group A).

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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