Facing a Novice Opponent in Africa, Espérance Had No Difficulty Imposing Their Rhythm and Returned from Niamey with a Resounding Victory
The Press — Successfully entering the C1 African competition against a virtually unknown opponent on the continental scene is a logical step for Espérance de Tunis. Apart from the extreme weather conditions they are accustomed to, the players benefited from convenient travel conditions on a specially chartered and equipped military plane. For a trip to Africa, the duration of the journey is average, with just over six hours of flight time. In short, a very normal journey in African territory. On the field, the "Sang et Or" had no difficulty imposing their rhythm from the start, with an early opening score in the fifth minute. A beautiful goal was scored by right winger Kouceila Boualia, thanks to a clever move and a nice assist from Abdramane Konaté.
Moreover, Abdramane Konaté, the replacement for Youssef Belaïli (who missed the trip due to a cold caught the day before departure), was the most prominent player in this match. As the author of the decisive passes that led to the first two goals scored by Kouceila Boualia and Aboubacar Diakité, Konaté was the team's true dynamo in this first leg of the Champions League preliminary round. Constantly creating danger on the left flank, he did not hesitate to infiltrate the penalty area, as he did in serving Diakité for the second goal. In short, Konaté replaced Belaïli as he should.
A Good Point for Diakité Started by Maher Kanzari, striker Ahmed Bouassida did not take advantage of the opportunity offered by his coach. Going unnoticed for half a game, Bouassida was replaced by Aboubacar Diakité, who seized his chance by scoring a double. And if he only had to put the ball in the net for the second goal, since all the work had been done by Konaté, he took everyone by surprise by scoring a third goal so quickly that no one saw it coming.
In summary, Espérance delivered the required performance in Niamey, making a good start in the Champions League despite an unfavorable atmosphere within the club. This first outing in African territory allowed certain players, including Abdramane Konaté, Aboubacar Diakité (who had almost been forgotten), Hamza Jelassi, Nidhal Laifi, and Khalil Guenichi, to prove that they are indeed present and intend to have a place in the sun and be part of this African adventure.
