Espérance Sportive de Tunis Faces Crucial Match Against Petro Atlético
The Espérance Sportive de Tunis, currently second in Group D with 6 points, will face Angolan club Petro Atlético this Saturday at the Hamadi Agrebi stadium in Radès (5:00 PM) in a crucial match that resembles a "final" for continental survival. The stakes are clear: validate their ticket to the quarterfinals of the African Champions League.
After the setback on the previous day, last Sunday in Bamako (0-1) against leader Stade Malien, which not only ruined their hopes of finishing top of their group but also led to the dismissal of coach Maher Kanzari, replaced on an interim basis by French technician Christian Bracconi, the Tunisian representative is adopting the slogan of redemption. Only a positive outcome will allow them to access the quarterfinals.
A draw (goalless or 1-1) could be enough for Espérance, according to the crossed results, but only a victory would guarantee qualification without depending on CAF's calculations on face-to-face matches.
However, the teammates of Béchir Ben Said are aware that a qualification acquired with style would strengthen the group's confidence and contribute to appeasing the discontent of the supporters. The latter have been disappointed by the inconsistent performances of their favorites: the 2-2 draw against Tanzanian club Simba after being led 2-0, the 0-1 defeat against Stade Malien, not to mention the 1-2 loss in the championship against US Monastir.
Hence the heavy task assigned to Bracconi, who will have to remobilize a mentally affected group to avoid premature elimination, which would be experienced as a seismic event in the large family of the four-time African champions.
The blood and gold supporters hope that this change on the bench will provoke the salvaging shock, allowing the team to reconnect with its fundamentals: ball control, intense pressing, and variety in the offensive game. It will also be necessary to regain defensive solidity to avoid individual errors that have offered easy goals, as was the case again in Bamako.
In this high-tension duel and despite an electric atmosphere internally, Espérance will have to draw on its immense continental experience to manage this crucial meeting. They will also have to exploit the richness of their squad to navigate in calm waters and continue their quest for a continental title that has eluded them since 2019. The foreign contingent, with the return of Algerian defender Mohamed Amine Tougaï, will play a crucial role. The hopes of making a difference, particularly in attack, will rest on Brazilian Yan Sasse, Algerian Kouseila Boualiya, Burkinabé Jack Diarra, and Malian Boubacar Diakité. Nigerian Onuchi Ogbelu, the midfielder's sentinel, will have the heavy task of ensuring balance, protecting his defense, and facilitating transitions.
Even if Espérance is deprived of its defender Yassine Meriah, injured, and Youssef Msakni, still mourning the death of his father, they approach this shock with a psychological advantage - they have never lost at home to an Angolan club and have beaten their rival in the 1997 CAF Cup final. However, recent statistics encourage extreme caution. The last three confrontations between the two teams in the Champions League have indeed resulted in draws. This says a lot about the progress of Petro Atlético, champion of Angola for the last four exercises. The Tunisians will therefore have to show realism and great tactical rigor to overcome an opponent who will also play their all, strong in their 2021-2022 (semifinalist) and 2023-2024 (quarterfinalist) campaigns.
The Angolans, ephemeral leaders of the group at the beginning of the campaign, have shown great defensive solidity, particularly during their trips to Dar es Salaam and Bamako. They define themselves in a marked Latin American playing identity, with several Portuguese and Brazilian players. Offensively, the danger will come from the coordinated movements of the Portuguese Benny and Costinha, precious in the construction of the game and the creation of opportunities, and the Brazilian Tiago Reis, scorer in the first leg in Luanda. In midfield, the Portuguese Jorge Pereira is responsible for setting the tempo and recovering balls, while his compatriot Pedro Pinto brings solidity to the axis. Behind them, the goalkeeper Hugo Marques, undisputed starter in the cages, has conceded only four goals in nine matches.
Note that the African Football Confederation has designated a Kenyan refereeing team led by referee Peter Waweru Kamaku to direct the meeting. Waweru will be assisted by his compatriots, Gilbert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe as assistants, and Dickens Mimisa Nyagrowa as the fourth referee.
