Ligue 1 – Matchday 20 – ASG Unless a miracle

A Very Turbulent Week for Zliza, Which is at an All-Time Low, and a Management Committee on the Verge of Resigning

The Press — After increasing pressure by announcing its decision to forfeit today's match against ESZ, the ASG management committee has eased tensions by requesting a postponement of the match to a later date from the League. However, this request was rejected as it was not based on any sporting or legal arguments. Financial problems and the inability to lift the recruitment ban are not valid sporting reasons to postpone a match without affecting the major principle of equal opportunities between clubs, which, in their majority, face the same difficulties. The arm-wrestling match between Carrelage de Gabès and the Chemical Group regarding the amount of the annual subsidy and its payment schedule did not start this season. The 500,000 dinars expected by the club's president, Alâaeddine Bouchâa, could give him a glimmer of hope to overcome the major handicaps.

Five Recruits on Hold

On January 31, the last day of the winter transfer market, the Gabès club hired five new players to pursue a frantic race to ensure its maintenance. Although the chances are limited, with five teams in a pocket handkerchief, a miracle could happen. The five recruits were well-targeted and met the current needs to fill the main gaps in the team and correct the deficiencies in the system. The choice fell on the Burkinabé central defender Souleymane Ouattara to support Nassim Khedher in the central defense. Thus, Mohamed Ameur Belghith would return to his preferred position as a midfielder and form a good duo with Nidhal Saied, convinced to return to his former team after a not-so-long experience abroad. It is the offensive sector that has had the lion's share with three heavy recruits that could completely transform it. Ameur Jouini obtained the green light from CSS for a six-month loan to Zliza, where he previously performed well as a left winger. Another experienced striker, Fayed Ben Hassine, ex-JSK, CAB, and EGSG, also signed for six months. So did Mohamed Aziz Khlifi, who was released by CAB. With so many reinforcements in attack, the duo Mohamed Chibani-Thabet Kahri will have more than one alternative in the lead, which largely depended on the form of the duo Hosni Guezmir-Oussama Neffati. However, to be able to align these five new recruits, ASG must pay 315,000 dinars to the FTF to lift the recruitment ban and release the licenses qualifying these five players. This matter has not been settled. These five new elements are therefore recruits on hold, awaiting the regularization of the situation. They will be the big absentees from today's match in the derby against the "Sang et Or" of Zarzis, just like Iheb Ben Amor, who is suspended. Not much to nurture hopes for a positive result from this perilous trip.