Tunisia are to look towards the future after another poor showing confirmed their exit from the 2002 World Cup.
Needing to win by two clear goals over Japan, the North Africans barely registered a shot and whimpered out with a 2-0 defeat.
But coach Ammar Souayah, who said before the game that he was expecting to lose, sounded upbeat.
"Our objective was to put in a good performance to show Tunisian football in the best possible light," Souayah said.
And he added that the side would now look forward to the 2004 African Nations Cup, which Tunisia will host.
"The next goal on the horizon is the African Nations Cup
in 2004," Souayah confirmed.
"We have plenty of time top prepare for that."
And he defended his tactics against Japan, which saw them play with a strongly defensive attitude for large periods of the game.
"It's normal to be cautious playing against a team on its
home soil," he argued.
"Japan are very aggressive in terms of
controlling the ball and closing down the opposition."