Tunis, Mar 13 (IANS): Tunisian football coach Nabil Maaloul has summoned defender Yohan Benalouane for his national team's pre-World Cup friendlies against Iran and Costa Rica, to take place in late March.

The Leicester City defender was put on the 28-player national team list for the friendlies against Iran on March 23 in Tunisia and against Costa Rica on March 27 in France, reports Efe.

Benalouane, born in France, has decided to answer the call of the Tunisian coach, unlike other players with the same status such as Sevilla forward Wissam Ben Yedder and Augsburg midfielder Rani Khedira.

The 30-year-old defender was an Under-21 international with France and had already refused to play with the Tunisian national team in 2010, but he is now in the final stretch of his career and does not want to miss the chance to appear in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Although Benalouane has not yet made his debut in the English Premier League (EPL) with Leicester this season, he was a starter in several FA Cup matches.

Tunisia is to compete in Group D along with Belgium, England and Panama.