Esperance de Tunis faced off against their historic rivals, Club Africain, in a derby match on Sunday for the 12th round of Ligue 1. Played at the Rades Stadium, the match ended in a 2-2 draw, leaving a bitter taste for the Blood and Gold who had dominated large parts of the game.
The match started at a blistering pace. In just the 4th minute, Youcef Belaïli sent a precise cross to Rodrigues, but the latter couldn't redirect the ball as he would have liked. A minute later, the attacker tried his luck again, but Clubiste goalkeeper Ghaith Yefreni made a brilliant save.
Despite this promising start, it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 9th minute through Ali Youssef. Taken by surprise, Esperance reacted vigorously, but a blow came in the 12th minute: Rodrigues, suffering a muscular injury, was replaced by Yan Sasse. The latter quickly made his mark with a shot in the 22nd minute that skimmed the post.
The equalizer finally arrived in the 39th minute. On a millimeter-perfect pass from Tka, Yan Sasse subtly slipped the ball between the goalkeeper and the post. Four minutes later, the stadium erupted with joy: Youcef Belaïli delivered a magnificent free kick that Mohamed Amine Tougaï converted with a header to give Esperance the advantage (2-1). Just before the break, Yefreni made a spectacular save on a powerful shot from Yan Sasse, preventing a third goal.
In the second half, the Blood and Gold adopted a more cautious strategy. Controlling the game and limiting risks, they managed to neutralize the opposition's attacks. However, their lack of audacity in the final third proved costly.
The drama unfolded in the 81st minute. Against the run of play, Yassine Bouabid took advantage of a corner to equalize with a header. Despite a few attempts at the end of the match, Esperance couldn't regain the lead.
This 2-2 draw left a feeling of frustration among the supporters and the coaching staff. Dominant in the first half and controlling the game in the second, Esperance lacked the cutting edge to kill the game. The injuries to Rodrigues and Maâcha also weighed on the management of the match.
EST lineup: Memmiche, Bouchniba, Ben Hamida(c), Jelassi, Tougaï (Konaté 72'), Aholou, Tka, Ayeb (Ben Mohamed 72'), Maâcha (Abdelli 37'), Belaïli (Bouguerra 72') and Rodrigues (Sasse 13').
Booked: Belaïli, Bouchniba.