To Stay Glued to the Leader’s Heels, Faouzi Benzarti’s Eleven Can No Longer Afford to Squander Points
La Presse — Now the runner‑up to EST, who could even widen the gap with a win in their postponed match, CA is however far from having its fate sealed in a championship where everything is still up for grabs—a genuine title race.
Firmly entrenched for several rounds in the upper echelons, Club Africain no longer has any jokers left to play and must deliver successes if it wants to keep its chances intact until the end.
It’s a matter of endurance, resilience, and mindset; nothing should now divert CA from its goal of conquest and final promotion in rank.
Thus, at Parc A and at night, with one session per day, CA rehearses its routines under the direction of Faouzi Benzarti.
To that end, at the beginning of the holy month, after occasional absences, goalkeeper Mouhib Chamekh returned from Medenine and the duo Oussema Cherimi and Fahd Mesmari resumed training after a quick trip to Libya.
Given Ramadan, in addition to the usual drills, the technical staff also combined different categories of exercises to target various muscle groups, alternating between endurance and strength training, in order to improve the squad’s overall physical condition.
A customized program as well: besides the young Burkinabé international midfielder Franck Alain Kanté, Oussema Bouguerrra and Sadok Kadida are receiving special attention from the staff, while at the same time the attacking midfielder Sadok Mahmoud is training alone, awaiting the staff’s green light to rejoin the squad.
The Process Matters as Much as the Results
This Sunday, CA will face ES Métlaoui in Radès for a match listed on the 22nd round of the Ligue 1 calendar.
For this match, the club’s eleven will regain left‑back Oussema Shili and versatile attacking midfielder Aymen Harzi, each having served a one‑match suspension.
Thus, Faouzi Benzarti can once again rely on these two players: Shili, acting as a shield on his flank, and Harzi, a corridor‑driving, multi‑position player who provides valuable tactical flexibility to his coach.
Today, the slight current drop in the club’s standing—after EST’s return to the top—should not obscure the fact that Benzarti’s eleven is quite flashy offensively, that the defence holds firm, and that the squad is packed with talent—players who still have a lot to prove and contribute, such as Kadida, Mesmari, Sadok Mahmoud, Houssem Ben Ali, Kanté, and even Saidou Khan, who finally seems to be reaching a new level with the Clubists.
In short, while scores are inevitably decisive, the process matters just as much; in football, especially in a typically tense context, “you are not forgiven” by the style of play but by the results…
