After two disappointing results at the start of the league campaign, Espérance de Tunis bounced back in style on Thursday afternoon with a commanding 4-0 away win over JS Kairouanaise in Matchday 3 of Ligue 1. The Blood and Gold delivered a performance full of control and confidence, rediscovering both their attacking efficiency and collective solidity.
Right from the kick-off, Belaïli and his teammates took charge of the game, dictating the tempo and smartly exploiting the spaces. Espérance’s dominance quickly paid off. In the 23rd minute, a highly inspired Belaïli drew several defenders before releasing Ogbelu with a delicate lobbed pass. Left completely unmarked, the Nigerian midfielder kept his composure to slot home and open the scoring (0-1).
Just three minutes later, Belaïli decided to showcase his individual brilliance. Picked out on the left flank, he swiftly turned and unleashed a powerful, pinpoint strike that left the Kairouan goalkeeper with no chance. A stunning goal that doubled Espérance’s lead (0-2, 26’).
The Blood and Gold didn’t ease up and continued to pile on the pressure until the very last seconds of the first half. In stoppage time (45’+4), a fine team move ended with a precise cross from Ben Hamida towards Jabri, who netted his first goal of the season. His joy was uncontainable as the scoreline moved to 0-3 at the break.
After the restart, Kanzari’s men maintained the same intensity. Barely three minutes into the second half (48’), Belaïli once again worked his magic with a clever lobbed assist for Sasse. Completely free, the forward made no mistake and fired in Espérance’s fourth (0-4).
With such a comfortable lead, Espérance managed the rest of the match with composure, still creating a few more chances that could have made the scoreline even heavier. But the 0-4 result was more than enough to delight the Blood and Gold faithful, reassured by their team’s strong response.
This emphatic victory puts the defending champions right back on track and confirms that, when well-organised and inspired, they remain capable of producing top-class performances.
EST Line-up: Ben Saïd, Ben Ali (Keita 62’), Ben Hamida (Laïfi 46’), Meriah(c) (Jelassi 78’), Tougaï, Ogbelu, Guenichi, Jebali, Sasse (Tka 62’), Belaïli and Jabri (Bouassida 46’).