JOHANNESBURG, May 26 - Tunisia are the only African representatives at this year's World Cup finals with previous experience, making a third successive trip to the tournament and showing increasing potential of being competitive.

The north African country, among the smallest in the 32-nation field in Germany, set new standards for African football when they first appeared at the World Cup finals but still have to get over the hurdle of the first round of competition.

Tunisia first reached the finals in Argentina in 1978, where their 3-1 win over Mexico in Rosario marked the first time that an African side had won at the tournament.

After three subsequent appearances at the World Cup, however, they still seek the achievement of reaching the knockout stages, a stated objective of Tunisia's coach Roger Lemerre next month.

The steady hand of the veteran Frenchman has elevated Tunisia's profile, first in taking the 2004 African Nations Cup title on home soil and then by emerging top of their World Cup qualifying group last October.

The former coach of France has ensured a more consistent level of performance, keeping faith with many key players who have been squad members for almost a decade.

Veteran midfielders Riadh Bouazizi and Kaies Ghodhbane, Bolton Wanderers defender Riadh Jaidi and wing backs Clayton and Hatem Trabelsi all played in the last two World Cup finals.

The coach has also introduced some exciting young talent over the last 18 months, increasingly from the ranks of the large Tunisian expatriate population in France.

Hamed Namouchi, now at Glasgow Rangers, and Chaouki Ben Saada were both born in France but now play in Tunisia's midfield while Girondins Bordeaux defender David Jemmali recently made a belated debut 10 years after the Tunisians first attempted to persuade him to play for their national side. His father hails from the coastal city of Sousse.

PIVOTAL CONTRIBUTION

Then there is the pivotal contribution of the 27-year-old Brazilian-born striker Francileudo dos Santos, whose 17 goals in 27 internationals over the last two years have made him an unusual hero in the Arab country.

Dos Santos, who plays for Toulouse in France, was given a Tunisia passport at the start of 2004 on the basis of just two years' residence while playing at Etoile Sahel.

For Lemerre, who turns 65 in June, the World Cup also represents a chance for personal redemption after the woeful French performance at the last finals in Asia.

Lemerre was at the helm of the world champions when they went to defend their title in South Korea but dramatically crashed out in the first round without scoring a goal.

His career has already been sufficiently resurrected with Tunisia, who emerged from a tough qualifying group to pip rivals Morocco for the trip to Germany, although they had to sweat through a dramatic final group match against their north Africa rivals in October before making sure.