At the Reception of Zliza, Stade Tunisien Aims to Break with an Unproductive Cycle
The Press — Sitting on the 3rd step of the podium with a comfortable lead over its immediate pursuer, CSS, Stade Tunisien can nonetheless harbor regrets for not taking advantage of the last few missteps of its club rival, which has now gone three games without a win. In other words, with four consecutive games without a victory, Stade has inevitably stalled in the standings, and its last defeat in Ben Guerdane has not improved things, as USBG put an end to the invincibility of Chokri Khatoui's team. Today, for all these reasons, victory is imperative when hosting the Gabesian lantern, ASG, at Hedi Ennaifer. In Bardo, the opportunity will therefore be favorable for the Stadists to reconnect with victory and not potentially allow the club's runner-up to widen the gap. In their stronghold and starting this afternoon, ST intends to close the first phase of the championship on a good note and, why not, retake 2nd place in the standings if the planets align. And while hoping that CA will stumble at the Boujemaa Kmiti in Béjà, Stade will also have to do its part and therefore beat ASG. This season, even if several key players have left, namely Khalil Ayari, Laifi, Ouattara, Bonheur Mugisha, Atoui, and Elyès Jelassi, Stade has nonetheless managed to maintain its position and even lead the pack at times.
However, fans no longer want to dwell on the past, particularly the declining trajectory of the previous season, even if in phase 1 of the championship, Stade showed itself to be irresistible before experiencing a downward curve. The past sheds light on the present, as they say, and that's why the Stadist supporters do not want to hear about returning to the future currently. Quite rightly, given that the squad is well-stocked with reliable values and alternatives.
For More Stability in Midfield and Attack
So, what's not working at Stade currently? What remedy can be used to stop the cycle of underperformance? At first glance, coach Chokri Khatoui would do well to break with rotation, as frequent changes reduce affinities, particularly in midfield and attack. In other words, if in defense, in front of goalkeeper Noureddine Farhati, the team has found its rhythm with Hedi Khalfa, Aziz Saihi, Marouane Sahraoui, and Skander Sghaier, in midfield, there are six players vying for positions between Yussuf Touré, Mahamat Thiam, Rayan Smaâli, Amath Ndaw, Alysson Adriano, and Boubakar Camara. Necessarily, it will be essential to stabilize the midfield with reference points above all. Finally, up front, the staff has not yet found the right blend, even if with Youssef Saâfi, Amine Khemissi, and Amadou Ndiaye, the attack can hold its own, while at the same time, Abderahmen Hanchi, Firas Aifia, Moncef Gharbi, Amine Haboubi, and Godswill Emmanuel can alternate with the aforementioned trio.
