Friday, February 24, 2012

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25.02. (Sat) 15:00 Esperance - Maghreb Fes

Taraji, Esperance Tunis, Champion of Caf Champions league
Mahmoud maher

PROBABLE LINEUPS


ESPERANCE

Ben Cherifia
Derbali, Hichri, Ben Mansour, ChammamTraoui, Korbi
Y. Msakni, I. Msakni, BouazziN'Djeng
MAGHREB FES

Zniti
Hajj, Zekroumi, Mrani, Hammouni
Bemammer, Elbasri
Diop, Chtibi
Bourezzouk, Halhoul
After an excellent year 2011 during which they lifted an unprecedented quadruple, Esperance are looking to begin 2012 with one more continental title to add to their already stacked trophy cabinet. However, this is not quite the same championship-winning side due to the fact that there have been coaching and roster changes since they climbed the African summit.
The main difference is a managerial one, with Michel Decastel having arrived from the side that Esperance beat in the CL final, Wydad, to replace the departed Nabil Maaloul. Decastel’s first match at the helm was a 5-0 drubbing of Zarzis, but two narrow victories over Beni-Khaled and CS Sfaxien have followed.
At the squad level, Iheb Msakni was recruited from Stade Tunisien to replace Oussama Darragi, who is sidelined due to a dispute with club president Hamdi Meddeb over his transfer to FC Sion. Meanwhile, influential defender Yaya Banana is no longer in the team after securing a move to Sochaux.
Facing the Tunisians are an ever-improving Maghreb de Fes side who were the Caf Confederation Cup surprise of 2011, defeating more experienced sides such as JS Kabylie, Sunshine Stars, Inter Luanda, and Club Africain on their way to their first ever continental title.
The talented Rachid Taoussi-led Moroccans are doing well in the Botola league, and they are currently in fourth place behind leaders FUS Rabat, Moghreb Tetouan and Raja Casablanca, despite playing a game less than all of those sides.
“We’re going to have to use all our know-how that we showed during our Caf Confederation Cup run to dethrone this tough Tunisian side with an impressive record,” said Taoussi while speaking to TAP.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Esperance last won this trophy in 1995 when they defeated Congo’s DC Motema Pembe by the score of 3-0 in Alexandria.
  • Maghreb de Fes have graduated from the Caf Confederation Cup to the Champions League and await the winner of Sierra Leone’s Ports Authority and Guinea’s Horoya AC.
  • The match will be officiated by South Africa’s Daniel Bennet, the same referee who presided over Tunisia and Morocco’s encounter at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) which ended in a 2-1 Carthage Eagles victory.
  • The only Moroccan side to win the Caf Super Cup are Raja Casablanca, who lifted it in 1999 thanks to a 2-0 win over Cote d’Ivoire’s Africa Sport.
  • Tunisia’s fan ban has been lifted for international and continental club and national team competitions so there will be supporters in attendance on Saturday amidst a heightened security presence.
Prediction
Editor's Prediction 

Esperance Tunis Esperance Tunis 1-1 Maghreb Fès