Despite Being Outnumbered for 90 Minutes, CAB Almost Won!
La Presse — There's a world of difference between CAB's performance in the middle of the week against ASM in La Marsa and their performance on Saturday against ESS. In fact, the "Yellow and Black" team is always transcendent when they play at the 15th October Stadium. They draw their strength from this magical audience, which is invaluable to their team.
Otherwise, how can we explain this metamorphosis from one game to another? CAB showed against ESS that they were capable of surpassing themselves in such conditions. However, before the match, it was not evident at all! The last-minute forfeit due to injury of Fonseca and Aymen Amri, two solid players in the midfield, forced the technical staff to review the starting plan.
The coach thus renewed Iyed Mideni as a defensive midfielder and started Alaa Dridi, who was absent against ASM, in this compartment of the game. And unfortunately, the latter, who was aligned from the start, was expelled by the referee at the 10th minute for rough play. As a result, the entire midfield was disrupted.
This new situation dictated that Berrima and Fellahi make an extra effort to lend a hand to their teammates when the opponent was in possession of the ball, leaving the returning Noreddine Ayendi alone in the forefront, who also did not hesitate to make an effort.
Versatility and Accumulation of Roles
Overall, the three players with an offensive vocation succeeded in this mission of combining high recovery and rapid relaunch, a kind of accumulation of roles. Playing weakened, CAB still managed to open the scoring with a penalty. A real performance! Only the joy did not last long, as ESS equalized a minute later in front of a central axis that continues to make beginner mistakes.
And as one misfortune never comes alone, Aziz Guessmi got injured and left the field to make way for Mouelhi. Later, in the second half, it was Rhimi's turn to feel pain and be replaced by Youssef Azib. Fatigue gradually began to be felt in the local camp. The Cabistes retreated a notch, practiced zone defense, and held on.
In front, the changes made have rather caused a kind of pressure on their opponents, but have not been decisive, except for a better percentage in ball possession. And paradoxically, it was CAB who had the clearest opportunity to add a second goal at the end of the game, had it not been for the miraculous save by the ESS goalkeeper on Ayendi's left-footed shot, in an ideal position, just a few meters from the goal.
But beware, in other times, the Cabistes would have done much better! And coach Ellili knows it perfectly, he flatly stated at the end of the debate. "There is a tremendous amount of work ahead of us." All in all, the draw conceded by the Bizertins is a lesser evil!
