In a tense and intense duel at the Taieb Mhiri stadium in Sfax, Espérance de Tunis fell to OC Kerkennah in the round of 32 of the 2024 Tunisia Cup. Despite dominating the territory, the Blood and Gold lacked sharpness in front of goal, sealing their fate in extra time.

From the kick-off, Espérance seemed to struggle to find their rhythm, with inaccurate passes and team coordination below expectations. The changes made to the line-up did not make things easier, giving OC Kerkennah the opportunity to organize defensively and counter the opponents' initiatives.

The first half was marked by sporadic attempts, notably by Triki for Espérance (22'), but without any real danger for OCK goalkeeper Ali Guesmi. The Blood and Gold faced a solid Kerkennah defense, struggling to effectively move the ball into the dangerous area.

Despite a few individual flashes of brilliance, such as Ayeb's long-range shot (42') and Bouguerra's curling effort just before the break, Espérance failed to find the breakthrough. The goalless score at half-time reflected the offensive difficulties encountered by last season's finalists.

The start of the second half saw Cardoso try to energize his team by bringing in young talents Frikhi and Kada, but OC Kerkennah's defensive solidity persisted. The Blood and Gold's task was further complicated by the expulsion of Frikhi (57'), victim of a simulation by the opposing attacker, followed shortly afterwards by Amamou (64'), leaving the team reduced to nine players and conceding a goal in the process by Jafar Moussa in the 69th minute.

Despite this numerical inferiority, Espérance continued to push, finally equalizing from the penalty spot through Meriah (89') after a foul on Bouguerra in the opposing box. Extra time saw the Blood and Gold dominate, but without converting their chances. A defensive error was exploited by OC Kerkennah in the 112th minute, who scored the decisive goal against the run of play through Mohamed Amine Zitouni.

Despite a heroic end to the match, with desperate attempts to turn the tide, Espérance had to bow out. This premature elimination from the Tunisian Cup is a blow for the club, but it must serve as motivation to bounce back quickly. With the Ligue 1 championship and the Champions League final on the horizon, Espérance will need to focus on its upcoming objectives and learn the lessons of this defeat to move forward better.

EST Lineup: Ben Chérifia(c), Bouchniba (Ben Ali 84'), Shili (Majhed 76'), Amamou, Smiri (Frikhi 46'), Ouahabi, Derbali (Medaoui 102'), Ayeb, Triki (Kada 46' then Meriah 68'), Bouguerra and Ben Hammouda.
Yellow Cards: Bouchniba and Ouahabi.
Red Cards: Frikhi (57') and Amamou (64').