In a fully packed Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, overwhelmingly in favour of Simba SC, Esperance de Tunis produced a thrilling performance to come away with a dramatic 2–2 draw this afternoon, in Matchday 4 of the CAF Champions League group stage. Despite the hostile atmosphere, the presence of a sizeable and vocal contingent of travelling Blood and Gold supporters could clearly be heard throughout the match.

With no real period of observation, the Blood and Gold started the game brightly, looking to impose their tempo from the outset. Esperance showed early attacking intent and tried to exploit space in behind the defence. In the 13th minute, Ogbelu played a perfectly weighted through ball for Diarra, who broke free and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Instead of squaring the ball to better-positioned teammates, Diarra attempted to slip it under the keeper, who reacted well to deny Esperance what was their clearest chance of the opening phase.

That missed opportunity seemed to affect Esperance, who gradually ceded possession as Simba grew in confidence. The Tanzanian side capitalised on their momentum and struck first in the 39th minute. A clever passing move allowed Simba’s left winger to penetrate the box and pull the ball back to captain Kapombe. His initial shot was saved by Ben Saïd, but he reacted quickest to head in the rebound and make it 1–0.

The setback was compounded just before the break. In the 45th minute, a moment of euphoria for Simba and defensive naïveté from the Blood and Gold proved costly. A long ball from Simba’s defence was flicked on by an attacker, completely beating the back line. Kagoma pounced and headed past Ben Saïd to double the lead (2–0).

At half-time, the scoreline felt harsh on Esperance. Without being outplayed, they had conceded twice from defensive lapses and now faced an uphill battle against a side lifted by their supporters and the momentum of the game.

After the restart, the Blood and Gold showed clear intent to respond. Head coach Maher Kanzari gradually introduced more attack-minded players, leaving no doubt about his ambitions. The gamble paid off in the 64th minute, when a costly mistake from Simba’s right-back, attempting to play the ball back to his goalkeeper, gifted possession to Diakité. The forward made no mistake and calmly finished to reduce the deficit to 2–1.

That goal completely changed the complexion of the match. Esperance grew in confidence and began to dominate proceedings, pressing higher and pushing Simba back. Their persistence was rewarded in the 79th minute with a moment of pure brilliance. Substitute Youssef Msakni initiated the move before feeding Boualia, whose stunning curled effort flew into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless. A magnificent goal to bring Esperance level at 2–2.

Buoyed by the equaliser, the Blood and Gold continued to push for a remarkable comeback. Deep into stoppage time (90’+4), Danho was brought down inside the box after a long sprint. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Jelassi stepped up, struck the penalty with power… but the ball sailed just over the crossbar. Heartbreak for Esperance, who were seconds away from completing a sensational turnaround.

In the end, the draw remains a positive result given the overall scenario of the match. Trailing 2–0 at half-time in a hostile environment, the Blood and Gold showed outstanding character and resilience to fight their way back. A valuable point earned through pride, belief and an exceptional reaction on African soil.

EST Lineup: Ben Saïd, Keita, Laifi, Ben Hamida(c), Jelassi, Ogbelu (Jebali 49'), Tka (Msakni 69'), Konaté, Sasse (Dräger 84'), Diarra (Boualia 46') and Diakité (Danho 69').

Groupe D Standings