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’.”