CAF Champions League

Back to CAF CL action: "Perform and win," says Jaïdi


Ben Hamida in CAF CL action in Esperance's match in the preliminaries against Libyan side Al Ittihad. Photo | La Presse
Ben Hamida in CAF CL action in Esperance's match in the preliminaries against Libyan side Al Ittihad. Photo | La Presse

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Back to the CAF Champions League which resumes today, Friday 11 February 2022, and continues tomorrow, Saturday 12 February 2022, with Day 1 matches of the mini-league stage. Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST) is in Group C with Étoile Sportive du Sahel (ESS), CR Belouizdad (CRB) and Jwaneng Galaxy FC (JGFC).

CAF CL Groups. Photo | CAF Online

Day 1 Fixtures

Esperance of Tunisia hosts newcomers Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana tomorrow in Rades, Tunis, Tunisia, at 2:00 PM. Group C teams ESS and CRB meet today at 5:00 PM in Rades, too.

Below are the fixtures for the group stage opening day.

Matches of the Round. Photo | @CAFCLCC

Radhi Jaïdi: 'Perform and Win' 

"Our expectations are great," says Jaïdi. Photo | @RadhijaidiOff

In a pre-match press conference, Esperance Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi had this to say about his team's participation in the 2021 - 2022 edition of the CAF Champions League:

We, staff and players, are excited to resume African Champions League action, which is now an anchored tradition for Esperance... Our expectations are so great, of course. Esperance is one of Africa's powerhouses, regularly taking part in such prestigious competitions as the CAF Champions League. It is always necessary for Esperance to compete at this level. We represent not only Esperance, but also Tunisia. Therefore, we will strive to give a good image of Tunisian football, perform and win.

Chammam and Esperance wrenched the 2018 CAF Champions League title after a historic comeback against Egypt's Al Ahly (3-0). Photo | Goal

Team captain, Khalil Chammam, insisted that:

It is hard for a footballer to stay away from competitions for such a long time... We have worked well, we are aware of what is expected of us, and we hope to be up to the mark and meet the expectations of our fans.

Best of luck to the Blood and Gold of Tunisia!