Étoile aim to overturn deficit at home to Tunisian rivals

by Bertin Basson

Wednesday Sep 19, 2018. 15:00

Étoile du Sahel welcome Tunisian rivals Espérance de Tunis in a 2018 Caf Champions League second-leg quarterfinal clash at the Stade Olympique de Sousse on Friday.

Kick-off is at 18h00CAT (SA, GMT+2).

The 2007 CafCL champions suffered a 2-1 defeat away to their rivals in the reverse fixture in Radès this past weekend.

All goals on the outskirts of Tunis were scored by defenders on a low-scoring round of fixtures. In total, only four goals were scored in four CafCL quarterfinal games across the African continent, three if which came in Tunisia.

Chamseddine Dhaouadi fired Espérance ahead after only two minutes before Ammar Jemal equalised to make it all square at the break. Sameh Derbali snatched the 77th-minute winner for the two time CafCL champions.

Étoile, who were the first African team to have won all official club competition's recognized by Caf, recorded two wins and a draw in their allotted home fixtures in the group stages of this years competition.

Victories over ZESCO United and Mbabane Swallows was followed by a 1-1 draw against Angolan outfit 1º de Agosto in their most recent match on home soil.

Espérance have been resolute on their travels and kept a clean sheet in all three of their group games away from home.

Having held eight-time champions Al Ahly to a goalless draw, Mkachkha beat KCCA 1-0 before holding Township Rollers to a 0-0 stalemate in Gaborone in their most recent away game of the campaign.

Referee Victor Gomes of South Africa will officiate what is expected to be a highly charged clash in Sousse.