Beyond Qualification, a Beautiful Reaction from the Players
A convincing victory against Petro Luanda yesterday allowed the team to regain confidence and reconcile with their fans. La Presse — Thanks to a clear 2-0 win against Petro Luanda yesterday evening, Espérance has secured its spot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The "Sang et Or" team qualified second in Group D, with the first place already secured by Stade Malien in the previous round.
Let's take a look at the events of this last group stage match, which was not easy for the "Sang et Or" team in the first half. The team indeed faced difficulties during the initial period. The attackers struggled in the last 30 meters against a solid and well-organized Angolan defense. However, the team had several scoring opportunities, starting with a corner kick taken by Boualia in the 2nd minute, followed by a header from Tougaï that the Angolan goalkeeper, Hugo, managed to clear. The "Sang et Or" team pushed forward again a minute later: Konaté attempted a shot, but the ball ended up on the right side of the goal (3'). A few minutes later, Hadj Ali, served deep, shot from the left side of Hugo's cage (14'). Six minutes later, Sasse served Diakité, who instead of finishing the job with a targeted shot, kept the ball too long and was caught by the opposing defenders (20'). In short, if the Espérance attackers couldn't find the gap during the first half, it's because they were closely watched by the opposing defenders, which hindered their movements. That being said, the Angolans almost surprised the Espérance defense: following a cross from the left, Tiago Reis shot, but the ball hit the crossbar (26'). A big scare for Béchir Ben Saïd and his defense. And the "Sang et Or" team, despite their good intentions, couldn't overcome the Angolans from Petro at halftime.
Jebali and Diarra, Winning Changes!
Realizing there was an imbalance in the midfield, interim coach Christian Bracconi incorporated Chiheb Jebali in place of Kouceila Boualia at halftime. A change that would quickly prove to be winning: as soon as Jebali entered the field, he slipped to the right, dribbled an opposing defender, and made a precise cross for Aboubacar Diakité, who headed the ball directly into the goal (46'). From then on, the "Sang et Or" team took control and dominated the game. This dominance would materialize with a second goal signed by Jacques Diarra, another winning change made by Christian Bracconi: served from midfield, Diarra slipped to the left and made a cross-shot that left the Angolan goalkeeper without a reaction (81'). That was all it took for the "Sang et Or" team to sign a clear victory, one that came from the heart! A beautiful victory that not only qualified them for the quarterfinals but also allowed them to reconcile with their fans. By regaining confidence in themselves, the players can now continue their African adventure calmly, even if the rest of the journey won't be easy.
EST: Ben Saïd, Jelassi, Tougaï, Ben Hamida, Dräger, Tka, Hadj Ali (Guenichi 86'), Konaté (Bouzaiene 86'), Boualia (Jebali 46'), Sasse (Diarra 72'), and Diakité (Danho 64').
