Club Sportif Sfaxien Edge Stade Gabesien in Tunisian Cup Thriller**
*Thursday, 2025* — Club Sportif Sfaxien (CSS) secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Stade Gabesien in a tense Tunisian Cup clash on Thursday afternoon, thanks to two penalty goals from Maâloul.
Stade Gabesien took an early lead when Jlassi opened the scoring in the first half, giving the underdogs hope against the reigning favourites. However, CSS responded strongly in the second half, with Maâloul converting two penalties to turn the match in their favour.
Despite the defeat, Stade Gabesien’s general secretary, Dlim Rebai, expressed his frustration over the outcome. “It’s a tough test to lose like this. Being penalised by two penalties is a real pain. We were leading and played well for long periods of the match. What happened after the match? We’re not happy about it. We’re going to ease the tension and start working hard again to make a successful start to the season,” he said.
On the other side, CSS’s Mourad Okbi emphasised the importance of securing the win despite some controversial moments. “We knew the match wouldn’t be easy. We were very well positioned until we took the lead. At the restart, it was the equalising goal that put CSS back in the game. Despite that, we could have resisted until the end. The second penalty was not fair. That said, we are ready to play a good season,” Okbi added.
The match highlighted the competitive spirit of both teams as they prepare for the new season, with CSS showing resilience to come from behind and Stade Gabesien left to reflect on what might have been.
