The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group Stage begins on Tuesday, Nov. 26, with ES Tunis hosting Malian side Djoliba AC in Group D.
ES Tunis’ newly appointed coach, Laurențiu Reghecampf, addressed the media on Monday, Nov. 25, about the squad’s readiness for the match.
“I think all the players are ready for tomorrow’s game, and I believe there was a misunderstanding about my previous comments,” Reghecampf said. “What I meant was that I didn’t have all the players available. Many were with their national teams, and I didn’t have enough time to prepare them together.”
After a defeat in last season’s CAF Champions League final, Espérance de Tunis is eager for a fresh start. The club is currently sixth in their domestic league but remains unbeaten in their last four games.
Djoliba AC, the Malian champions, enter the competition unbeaten since May across all competitions. This marks the first time the club from Mali has reached this stage of the CAF Champions League, putting extra pressure on them.
Coach Mbemba Traoré emphasized the importance of physical fitness and tactical adaptability at this level of competition.
“At this level, you must be in top physical shape and able to adapt to your opponent’s tactics,” Traoré said. “In high-level football, it’s essential to be tactical, physical, and capable of adjusting to changes in the game.”
The match between ES Tunis and Djoliba AC kicks off at 8 p.m. UTC+1 at the Olympique Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Rades, Tunisia.
This year’s CAF Champions League features 16 teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals, set for Jan. 17-19.
