For their opening match of the new Ligue 1 season, Espérance de Tunis had hoped to kick-start their campaign with a convincing win. But at the Olympic Stadium in Gabès, the Blood and Gold had to settle for a frustrating goalless draw (0-0) against a combative home side determined to hold on to their point.

The tone was set early on. In the 10th minute, Konaté unleashed a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar, leaving Gabès goalkeeper Abdelkader Chouaya rooted to the spot. Thirteen minutes later, it was Jabri’s turn to stand out with a well-placed header, but the opposing keeper pulled off a stunning reflex save to keep the scores level. Frustration grew for Espérance when, on the half-hour mark, Jabri was brought down in the penalty area – an obvious spot-kick in the eyes of everyone except the referee, who remained unmoved.

Late in the first half, Maher Kanzari’s men won three consecutive corners (40'), a clear sign of their dominance, but they still couldn’t find the breakthrough. The whistle for half-time blew with the score at 0-0 – a result that didn’t reflect the pattern of play.

After the break, Espérance cranked up the pressure. From the 70th minute onwards, the attacking waves kept coming, but the Gabès defensive wall held firm. In the 78th minute, chances continued to flow one way, but the absence of Belaïli – so often decisive in matches like this – was sorely felt. In the closing minutes, AS Gabès resorted to time-wasting, breaking the rhythm to secure their point, while Espérance’s shots became rushed and inaccurate (88').

The final whistle left a bitter taste for the Blood and Gold, who had hoped to open the season with a win. Dominant from start to finish, they will need to quickly rediscover the clinical edge that is their trademark, or risk dropping valuable points early in the campaign.

EST line-up: Memmiche, Ben Ali (Keita 46'), Ben Hamida, Meriah (c), Tougai, Guenichi (Tka 60'), Ogbelu, Jebali (Bouassida 77'), Diakité (Dhaou 46'), Konaté (Diarra 84') and Jabri.
Booked: Guenichi.