Naive and Mentally Fragile, Clubistes Offer Equalization to a CSS that Better Managed the 2nd Half
The Press — Once again, the CA disappoints its audience, and as usual, the same causes produce the same effects.
After a first half dominated by the Clubistes, where their athletic and tactical superiority was evident, the CA returned from the locker room with a distraction that cost them the three points and even the point of a draw.
The CSS, thanks to the changes made by their coach Kouki, was able to get back into the game. It was a total metamorphosis: the CSS equalized and cornered a resigned CA that was short of ideas. Faouzi Benzarti once again failed to choose his starting eleven by insisting on playing technically limited players like Sghaier and Khadhraoui.
He did nothing at halftime to help his players stay focused. We saw players who were assured of winning before the end of the game. The goal from the generous Chaouat (40') punctuated a fairly successful first half for the "red and whites". Kinzumbi headed the ball to Chaouat, who with a striker's gesture, shot low and deceived Dahmen.
The Sfaxian goalkeeper had previously saved a goal from a wrapped shot by Sghaier at the 20th minute. The CA was active in the first half, with intense movements, even if only Chaouat offered solutions upfront. The CSS, completely changed in the middle, was not in the game. It took a monumental error on a poorly taken corner by Kinzumbi and a bad clearance by Sghaier for Belwafi to face Chaamekh, who committed the foul.
The penalty was converted by Baccar (54'). Since then, it was a different game: the Clubistes decreased their pace and got lost on all levels against a CSS that regained control of the midfield thanks to Mutyaba. There were plenty of spaces for a CSS that missed the opportunity to win with this wasted chance by Onana at the 91st minute.
On the Clubiste side, there was no variation, just individual efforts. Khadhraoui was alone in front of Dahmen, but his header was poorly placed (this player has concentration problems in front of the goal), while Saydou Khan and Zaalouni shot high in added time.
Kouki's Job
This point is good to take for Kouki's CSS. The Sfaxians were better in the second half, leading and playing with a sequence of ideas. In contrast, the CA only repeats its mistakes and learns nothing from its failures. Faouzi Benzarti and his players did everything to miss a match and a victory that were not painful.
The penalty action says a lot about this fragility and poor placement of players on a corner in their favor. If Kouki knew how to mobilize his players and make the right changes, it was the opposite for Benzarti, who took out fairly fresh and determining players like Kinzumbi to bring in a transparent Srarfi or to keep a disappointing Khadhraoui who found himself protected despite his misadventures.
After the ESZ, the CA stalls in a match against a top team and loses points, confirming the limits of its players and especially its current leaders.
CA Lineup: Chamekh - Zaallouni - Ben Ali - Youssef - Ben Abda - Zemzmi - Sghaier (Khan) - Ait Malek (Mesmari) - Khadhraoui - Kinzumbi (Srarfi) - Chaouat
CSS Lineup: Dahmen - Mhadhebi (Derbali) - Baccar - Mundeco - Habchia - Tayfour - Trabelsi (Sakkouhi) - Hassamadou (Onana) - Aidi (Mutyaba) - Belwafi - Emmanuel (Ben Ali)
