In a match filled with twists and turns, Espérance de Tunis demonstrated their mental fortitude to overcome a valiant ES Zarzis side (4-2) this afternoon at the Radès stadium, in the 20th round of Ligue 1.
The early minutes saw both teams struggling to find their rhythm, with cautious play and numerous technical errors. However, in the 14th minute, Espérance created the first genuine opportunity when Jabri delivered a clever pass to Belaïli, who inexplicably missed a sitter.
This miss proved costly for the Blood and Gold, as Zarzis opened the scoring on a swift counter-attack in the 22nd minute. Youssef Snana found himself one-on-one with Memmiche and calmly slotted home to give his team the lead (0-1). Four minutes later, Espérance's situation worsened. Another rapid offensive saw Younes Rached outmaneuver a shaky Blood and Gold defense to double the advantage (0-2).
With their backs against the wall, Espérance responded immediately, earning a penalty in the 28th minute following a foul on Jabri in the box. Zarzis captain Lamjed Rjili was sent off for excessive protesting, leaving his team with ten men. Belaïli made no mistake from the spot, pulling one back for Espérance (1-2, 33').
Buoyed by this goal, the Blood and Gold intensified their pressure and came close to equalizing through Jabri and Belaïli. Just before halftime, the referee waved away two contentious penalty appeals in the Zarzis box. But in the dying moments of added time, Ben Hamida combined brilliantly with Belaïli, who delivered a subtle backheel to Jabri. Jabri curled his shot past Charfi to level the score (2-2, 45'+5).
After the break, Espérance took complete control of the match and launched wave after wave of attacks. Mokwana thought he had given his team the lead in the 63rd minute, but his shot was superbly saved by Charfi.
Against a Zarzis side camped in their own half, Espérance persisted and eventually found the breakthrough. From a pinpoint cross by Bouchniba, Ogbelu rose highest to power a header into the net (3-2, 82'). Three minutes later, Belaïli took a quick corner. The Zarzis defense cleared the ball, but it fell to Tougaï, unmarked on the penalty spot. The defender rifled an unstoppable shot into the net to seal the Blood and Gold victory (4-2, 85').
Jabri could have added a fifth in the 90th minute, but his effort missed the target. Nevertheless, the job was done. Espérance completed a spectacular comeback and secured three valuable points, reinforcing their position as undisputed league leaders.
Congratulations to the Blood and Gold for a well-deserved victory!
EST Lineup: Memmiche, Bouzaïène (Bouchniba 46'), Ben Hamida(c), Jelassi (Jebali 46'), Tougaï, Guennichi, Tka (Smiri 46'), Konaté (Ogbelu 71'), Sasse (Mokwana 61'), Belaïli, and Jabri.
Booked: Guennichi.