'People just assume I'm Tunisian' - the Irishman at Club World Cup

BBC News

5 hours ago

From the pitches of Dublin to the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States, Ayman Ben Mohamed has been on a journey unlikely to ever be replicated by another League of Ireland player.Raised in the Republic of Ireland, Ben Mohamed - whose father is Tunisian - now plays for Esperance, one of Africa's biggest clubs and over the next fortnight will line up against Chelsea, Flamengo and Los Angeles FC in what will be the 30-year-old's second appearance at the Club World Cup."Of course everyone is very excited about the opportunity," Ben Mohamed tells BBC Sport. "It's massive - you don't always get the chance to play against world class teams."We're all looking forward to it and obviously we will be facing very high-level opposition so we're hoping just to go there and give a good account of ourselves, to test ourselves against some amazing sides."
Ben Mohamed began his professional career at UCD, before also turning out for Longford Town and Bohemians. In 2016, he swapped Dalymount Park in Dublin for the 65,000-capacity Hammadi Agrebi Stadium - home to Tunisian giants Esperance.Over the next three years, Ben Mohamed won three straight Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 titles and back-to-back CAF Champions Leagues in 2018 and 2019. It was a dramatic shift in pressure for the left-back, with Esperance expected to win every trophy for which they compete by the club's famously vociferous supporters."It did take a little bit of time to adapt to that but it's really enjoyable to play in this environment and I've always had an amazing relationship with the fans here," Ben Mohamed explains. "They've always been very good to me and I always felt I had their support. It's one of the things I love most about the club."
Ben Mohamed is currently in his second spell with Esperance having moved away from the club in 2019. He played for French sides Le Havre and Guignamp, and on loan in Turkey with Denizlispor, before returning to Tunisia in 2024."When I first came to Tunisia it was always with the view that I'd try to get back to Europe if I had the opportunity. But it was still a very difficult decision [to leave in 2019] and it took me a long time to make it."I was 24 and it felt like a good time to try something different and try to improve as a player. I had some great experiences in those five years but I always stayed in contact with Esperance."If I was ever going to come back to Tunisia, it would only be Esperance. Then last year the circumstances were right and it wasn't a very difficult choice for me to come back."Now one of the senior players in the dressing room, Ben Mohamed is set to get another shot at the Club World Cup. At the 2025 tournament, the ex-Bohemians defender will play two matches in Philadelphia - a city that is home to the second-biggest Irish American population in the United States.He says that many local supporters might be shocked to discover they share his heritage."People see my name and they just assume that I'm Tunisian."A lot of people would think I was Tunisian when I was in Ireland but here in Tunisia they call me 'Irish' because of the way I look."It surprises people because I look more Irish; I look a lot more like my mother than my dad. People expect me to have an Irish name and then they see 'Ben Mohamed'."
'I've had experiences that not a lot of players have'
It has been nine years since Ben Mohamed left Bohemians but he still feels a strong connection to Ireland and remains in contact with some of his former team-mates."I keep in touch with a few back in Ireland and I do still follow Irish football too, especially Bohemians," he adds."I even try to go to watch games when I'm back home and keep tabs on the League of Ireland. More fans are coming to watch games - it's growing, which is positive."The revamped 2025 Club World Cup represents another new football experience for Ben Mohamed, who is grateful for the opportunities afforded to him on his unique career path from the Republic of Ireland to Tunisia."Growing up in Ireland, it's normal that you want to get over the waters to the UK - that's the typical sort of journey, the aspirations of a young player in Ireland. I know that it [playing in Tunisia] something very different."I've had experiences that not a lot of players have - the chance to play in a few different leagues and of course in Africa, which is just such an interesting place. "It's certainly not something an Irish player would typically do."