With a Pinch of Opportunism and a Lot of Realism, Stade Tunisien Can Climb the Ranks and Join the Big Leagues
The Press — In review mode for the past few days, Stade Tunisien first fell to the Congolese team FC Saint Eloi Lupopo, conceding a narrow defeat, and then was thoroughly outplayed by SAMB, losing 4-0 with a double from Amadou Dia Ndiaye and two other goals from Aziz Sayhi and Rafaâ Riahi. The team led by Chokri Khatoui has therefore been revamped in recent times, with new recruits including Farhati, Elyès Jelassi, Aifia, Hanchi, Khemissi, Sghaïer, Jaouadi, Adissa, Ndiaye, Thiam, Habboubi, Saihi, Wafi, Godswill Emmanuel, and the latest addition, left-back Yassine Arfaoui, who joined from Jeunesse Sportive de La Manouba and previously played for COT. The team has been renovated with an injection of new blood. A battalion of attackers has been enlisted, following the departures of Ayari, Atoui, and Dabbebi. The midfield has been rethought, after the departures of the versatile Ouattara and Mugisha Bonheur, and the defense has been corrected, with left-back Nidhal Laifi joining the "sang et or" team and central defender Arous moving to Kasimpasa in Turkey. For the resumption of L1, Stade Tunisien will face the current champion at Hédi Ennaifer before traveling to Béjà to face the Cigognes, and finally, they will switch to continental mode for the first preliminary round of the C3, with a double confrontation against the Association Sportive de la Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière de Mauritanie.
The Next Level is Within Reach
Looking ahead, there are several reasons to be hopeful for Stade Tunisien, particularly with regards to the continuity of the technical staff and an ambitious transfer market. Today, the objective is clear: to compete with the best teams to maintain their status as a top team (among the big four) and reduce the gap with African teams competing in the C3. And on the African front, we recall that last season, Stade Tunisien exited with honors against USM Alger, coached by Nabil Mâaloul, who was victimized by a complacent referee. In this context, Stade Tunisien must learn from past mistakes and relearn how to travel, as in Africa, destiny can change at any moment due to unforeseen circumstances. In short, even if Stade Tunisien is more comfortable in a challenger position, they must demonstrate their ability to withstand pressure and home refereeing to succeed. They must add excitement to the local competition by becoming one of the top teams in L1 again (a reputation they shared with Bardolais last season, along with USM and ESZ). They must always offer collective sequences that have given the top teams a headache in the past. They must deliver convincing performances, which means proposing a good game, but also winning in the end. With a pinch of opportunism, success, and a bit of luck, as chance often smiles on the bold, Stade Tunisien can combine convincing performance and realism, two factors that will allow them to join the big leagues. The next level is within reach. With one more effort, Stade Tunisien can establish themselves there.
