AS Marsa Secures Ligue 1 Spot. Mission Accomplished (Photo: Mokhtar H'MIMA)
Despite having limited resources, the AS Marsa team held on and secured their place in the top division. The objective set for this season has been achieved: ensuring a comfortable stay in the top division while avoiding the anxiety of uncertainty until the final day.
The Press — AS Marsa's mission has been accomplished, securing their place among the elite two days before the end of the season. This is an impressive feat, considering the club's limited financial resources.
As the club had spent seven seasons in lower divisions, the board of directors, led by Moez Gharbi, opted for a step-by-step approach: ensuring a safe stay in the top division this season and aiming for a mid-table finish next season.
The AS Marsa team's journey has not been smooth sailing this season. However, the club's leaders chose to prioritize stability over making drastic changes.
In this sense, the team's confidence in coach Ameur Derbal was maintained, despite the ups and downs in results. Ameur Derbal, who led the team to promotion last year, has repaid the trust of the club's leaders by securing a safe stay in the top division two days before the end of the season.
Two Crucial Matches In the past, AS Marsa was almost invincible at home, but this season, they have stumbled on several occasions at the Stade Abdelaziz Chtioui due to the poor condition of the pitch.
This led the club's leaders to decide to play a crucial match against their direct rival, Olympique de Béja, at the Stade municipal du Kram, which they considered to be the match of the season for the 24th round.
On the Kram stadium pitch, Mohamed Aziz Chaouch scored the opening goal in the 13th minute, and his teammates in defense did the rest, preserving the lead until the final whistle.
Last Monday, for the 28th round, the team made a difficult trip to Bizerte, but they managed to surpass themselves and secure a 2-1 victory, thanks to Mohamed Amine Khaloui and Youssouf Dao. This win ensured the team's safe stay in the top division.
In summary, the matches against OB and CAB were the key matches that allowed AS Marsa to secure their place in the top division.
Celebrating the Stay in the Top Division at Chtioui The stadium that will host the match against CSS this Saturday has not yet been decided. However, a segment of the AS Marsa supporters hopes that the Stade Abdelaziz Chtioui will host this match to celebrate the team's stay in the top division.
The club's leaders have chosen to play their home matches at the Stade municipal du Kram since the match against OB, as the stadium has a high-quality pitch, allowing for short passes and minimizing the risk of injuries compared to the central pitch at Chtioui.
If the choice is made to play at the Kram stadium, the supporters can travel in large numbers, as the distance is short. To make the celebration complete, the players must not falter and give their all against CSS. While the stay in the top division is secured for many players, the two remaining matches offer an opportunity to confirm their places and prepare for next season.
