Espérance Sportive de Tunis will have to cope without two of their key players for the first leg of the 2018–2019 CAF Champions League semi-final against TP Mazembe.
The Tunisian club announced on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, that Anis Badri and Mohamed Ali Yaakoubi are sidelined due to injuries. Both players will require at least ten days of rest, and further examinations are planned to determine the appropriate course of treatment. As a result, Espérance will face TP Mazembe at the Rades Stadium on April 27 without the services of these regular starters.
Espérance secured their place in the semi-finals last Saturday, eliminating CS Constantine of Algeria in the quarter-finals. The Tunisian side won the first leg 3-2 away and confirmed their dominance in the return leg with a 3-1 victory at home.
In the other semi-final, Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca will take on South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns after dispatching Horoya AC of Guinea, drawing 0-0 in Conakry before a 5-0 triumph at home.
The absence of Badri and Yaakoubi will be a significant challenge for the defending champions, but Espérance will look to leverage their squad depth and home advantage as they aim to reach the CAF Champions League final once again.
