Espérance de Tunis came away with a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Petro Atletico at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in the second round of the CAF Champions League group stage. In a match full of intensity, missed chances and dramatic moments, the Blood and Gold showed both quality and character, especially after falling behind early in the second half.
Maher Kanzari’s men began the game in superb form, immediately imposing their rhythm and pinning Petro deep into their own half. Confident, sharp and dominant in every duel, Espérance forced the Angolan champions to retreat and rely solely on counter-attacks.
After just five minutes, the Tunisian side thought they had taken the lead when Danho found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside position. The pressure continued, and in the 16th minute Jebali broke through brilliantly on the left before delivering a precise cross for Danho, whose powerful, dipping header crashed off the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.
Moments later (21’), Danho struck again with a fierce drive that the Petro keeper pushed away at full stretch. Espérance were firmly in control and creating chance after chance.
After 30 minutes of overwhelming domination from the visitors, Petro finally managed to settle into the match and press higher up the pitch. During the final minutes of the half, the hosts began to threaten.
In stoppage time (45’+2), they came dangerously close to scoring, but Ben Hamida produced a perfectly timed sliding tackle inside the box to prevent a certain goal. The first half ended goalless, with Espérance clearly superior but still lacking the finishing touch.
Just four minutes into the second half, the match took a cruel turn. Tiago Reis collected the ball outside the area and fired a precise strike past Ben Saïd to give Petro a 1-0 lead (49’).
Espérance responded instantly. At the 53rd minute, Jebali delivered another excellent cross, this time for Konaté, whose diving header was miraculously cleared off the line by the Angolan goalkeeper. The equalizer felt imminent, yet the hosts held firm.
As the match progressed, Petro tightened their defensive block while Espérance struggled with the final touch, allowing the score to remain unchanged (69’).
The closing stages were high drama. In the 81st minute, Pereira had a golden chance to double the lead with an effort identical to Petro’s goal, but his shot went narrowly wide with Ben Saïd beaten.
Just two minutes later (83’), a defensive mix-up gifted Paciência a one-on-one opportunity, but Ben Saïd came up huge to keep Espérance alive.
Then came the moment the Blood and Gold had fought for. In the 89th minute, Ben Hamida curled in a superb cross that substitute Diakité met with a well-placed header to level the score. A deserved equaliser.
The final scare came deep into added time (90’+4), when Kinito found himself in a perfect scoring position, but his shot sailed over the bar, much to the relief of the travelling supporters.
Espérance return from Luanda with a precious point against a strong opponent in excellent form. Their brilliant opening half-hour, marked by multiple clear chances, leaves some regrets. But the team also showed tremendous spirit and resilience to come from behind and avoid defeat away from home.
A draw that keeps the Blood and Gold firmly in contention in this Champions League group.
EST Lineup: Ben Saïd, Ben Ali, Ben Hamida, Jelassi, Meriah(c), Ogbelu, Tka, Jebali (Maâcha 80'), Boualia (Jabri 69'), Konaté (Guenichi 90'+2) and Danho (Diakité 80').