Omar Ben Ali delivered a masterclass on Sunday, scoring four goals to help Club Sportif Sfaxien dismantle US Zriba-Hammam 5-0 in the Round of 16 of the Tunisian Cup.
His performance headlined a day of intense knockout football that also saw ES Métlaoui and US Tataouine crash out of the competition.
Sfaxien were in complete control from start to finish.
The rout began in the 34th minute when Firas Sakouhi opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
Just two minutes later, Ben Ali netted his first of the afternoon, setting the tone for what was to come.
He doubled his tally early in the second half with goals in the 49th and 50th minutes, before capping off his stunning performance with a fourth in the 82nd minute.
The emphatic win sealed Sfaxien’s place in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Club Africain edged US Tataouine 1-0 thanks to a 41st-minute goal from Ali Youssef.
The match was tightly contested, but Youssef’s decisive finish proved enough to send Club Africain through and eliminate Tataouine.
Espérance de Zarzis also advanced, upsetting ES Métlaoui with a 2-0 victory.
Youssef Snana scored both goals in the second half, striking in the 54th and 67th minutes to end Métlaoui’s cup run and secure a notable win for Zarzis.
Stade Tunisien joined the list of quarter-finalists with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Olympique Sidi Bouzid.
Ghazi Ayadi’s 42nd-minute penalty was the only goal in a tightly fought match at the Stade Hedi Ennaifer.
In another fixture, AS Soliman overcame GS Om Laarayes 2-1 in a match full of late drama.
Dhiaeddine Jebri and Amanallah Mejhed put Soliman two goals ahead within the first 21 minutes.
Though Oussema Saidi pulled one back for Om Laarayes in the 84th minute, it wasn’t enough to inspire a comeback.
Etoile du Sahel progressed with a 1-0 win against SS Mornag, courtesy of a 57th-minute goal by Firas Chawat, while AS Jelma recorded a surprise 1-0 victory over PS Sakiet Eddaier.
Aymen Gasmi scored the decisive goal in the 33rd minute, ensuring AS Jelma’s name will be in the draw for the next round.
With thrilling upsets, standout individual performances, and clubs punching above their weight, this round of the Tunisian Cup delivered all the drama and excitement fans could hope for.
