Maher Kanzari

Maher Kanzari
Kanzari in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth (1973-03-17) 17 March 1973
Place of birth Tunis, Tunisia
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1997 Stade Tunisien
1997–2000 Espérance de Tunis
2000–2001 Al Ahli Saudi 3 (2)
2001–2002 Al Nasr Dubai
2002–2003 Dubai CSC
International career
1996 Tunisia Olympics 3 (0)
1998–2002 Tunisia 31 (7)
Managerial career
2006–2007 Tunisia U17
2007–2010 Espérance de Tunis (assistant)
2010 Espérance de Tunis
2011–2012 CA Bizertin
2012–2013 Al-Sailiya
2013 Espérance de Tunis
2014 CA Bizertin
2014 Al-Wakrah
2014–2015 Tunisia (assistant)
2015 Tunisia U-23
2016 Stade Tunisien
2016–2017 CA Bizertin
2017 Stade Gabèsien
2018 Ohod Club
2018–2019 Tunisia (assistant)
2018 Tunisia (caretaker)
2020–2021 Tunisia U20
2021–2023 Tunisia U23
2023–2024 CA Bizertin
2024–2025 Stade Tunisien
2025–2026 Espérance de Tunis
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Maher Kanzari (born 17 March 1973) is a Tunisian professional football manager and former player. He played as an attacking midfielder and represented the Tunisia national football team.

Club career

Kanzari played in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 for Stade Tunisien and Espérance de Tunis. He also competed in the Saudi Professional League with Al-Ahli Saudi FC and in the UAE Pro League with Al Nasr Dubai and Dubai CSC.

International career

Kanzari represented Tunisia at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta with the Olympic team. He made his senior debut in 1998, earning 31 caps and scoring 7 goals over four years. He also played in the 2000 African Cup of Nations, where Tunisia reached the semi-finals.

Coaching career

Kanzari guided the Tunisia national under-17 football team to qualification for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea by reaching the semi-finals of the 2007 African U-17 Championship. He advanced the team to the round of 16, with victories over Belgium and the United States. This success led to his appointment as assistant coach at Espérance de Tunis in 2007.

Following Faouzi Benzarti's departure in 2010, Kanzari briefly served as head coach of Espérance de Tunis before Nabil Maâloul took over. On 2 January 2011, he was appointed coach of CA Bizertin, guiding them to second place in the 2011–12 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1. In October 2012, he replaced Uli Stielike at Al-Sailiya SC.

In 2014, he served as assistant to Georges Leekens with the Tunisia national team. He had short spells with Stade Tunisien, CA Bizertin, and Stade Gabèsien (some ending in relegation threats or relegation), and managed Saudi club Ohod Club before dismissal for poor results.

In August 2018, he rejoined the Tunisia national team as assistant to Faouzi Benzarti. From 2020 to 2023, he coached Tunisia's U20 and U23 teams. He returned to club management with CA Bizertin (2023–2024) and Stade Tunisien (2024–2025).

In March 2025, Kanzari was appointed head coach of Espérance Sportive de Tunis. He led the club to the 2024–25 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1, 2024–25 Tunisian Cup, and 2024–25 Tunisian Super Cup titles. He was dismissed in February 2026 following a defeat to Stade Malien in the CAF Champions League.

Honours

Player

Espérance de Tunis

Manager

Espérance de Tunis

Tunisia U20

References

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