In the semifinals of CAN 2019, Senegal faces Tunisia this Sunday in Cairo. But, before this beautiful poster, the match has already begun. This Saturday morning, in full press conference of the team of Tunisia, a colt of Alain Giresse created the controversy. His name is Taha Yassine Khenissi.
During this conference, Taha Yassine Khenissi refused to speak in French, which angered the Senegalese media. The interruption lasted about ten minutes, preventing the media present from asking other questions.
For the second time in a few days in this CAN 2019, the language was the main cause of this disruption.This Saturday, Khenissi and before him Ferjani Sassi, after the match against Madagascar, refused to answer in French to the questions of the journalists preferring to answer in Arabic.
"I do not speak French," says Khenissi. He preferred to speak Arabic but especially in Tunisian Arabic. A gesture that Senegalese journalists did not appreciate. Due to the lack of an interpreter, the foreign journalists present asked for answers in French. But faced with the refusal of Tunisian players, a protest movement broke out among journalists. The brawl between journalists from both countries was narrowly avoided.
During this conference, Taha Yassine Khenissi refused to speak in French, which angered the Senegalese media. The interruption lasted about ten minutes, preventing the media present from asking other questions.
For the second time in a few days in this CAN 2019, the language was the main cause of this disruption.This Saturday, Khenissi and before him Ferjani Sassi, after the match against Madagascar, refused to answer in French to the questions of the journalists preferring to answer in Arabic.
"I do not speak French," says Khenissi. He preferred to speak Arabic but especially in Tunisian Arabic. A gesture that Senegalese journalists did not appreciate. Due to the lack of an interpreter, the foreign journalists present asked for answers in French. But faced with the refusal of Tunisian players, a protest movement broke out among journalists. The brawl between journalists from both countries was narrowly avoided.