Club Africain’s highly anticipated showdown with Espérance Sportive de Tunis this Sunday has already sparked controversy and tension well before the first whistle, as off-field decisions threaten to overshadow the action on matchday 27 of Tunisia’s Ligue 1.
The derby, one of the fiercest rivalries in Tunisian football, is set to unfold at the Olympique de Radès at 15:00 GMT, with both sides locked in a crucial title race.
Club Africain trails ES Tunis by just three points, while league leaders US Monastir sit ahead of both on goal difference.
Fueling the charged atmosphere is the suspension of ES Tunis star Youcef Belaïli.
The Algerian forward was handed a two-match ban by the National Professional Football League (LNFP) for an obscene gesture made during his goal celebration against JS Omrane on matchday 25.
Although the club appealed for the sanction to be halved, the National Appeals Commission upheld the original decision on Thursday, ruling Belaïli out of Sunday’s derby.
What has raised eyebrows even further is that the match referee did not include the incident in his official report—an omission that has left Espérance officials and supporters claiming the punishment was politically motivated to keep their influential player out of the derby.
Adding another layer to the pre-match drama is the selection of Portuguese referee Luis Godinho to officiate the clash. Godinho was also in charge of the first leg between the two sides earlier this season.
He returns with the same officiating crew: Rui Teixeira and Pedro Mota as assistant referees, and Bruno Esteves overseeing VAR duties.
While the reappointment of the entire team is seen as unprecedented, Godinho did earn praise for his performance in the first leg.
For Sunday’s encounter, Espérance will also be without Mohamed Amine Tougaï and Roger Aholou due to injury, further weakening their squad.
Club Africain, on the other hand, will benefit from the return of striker Hamdi Labidi, who has recovered from injury just in time for the pivotal match.
Elsewhere in the league, US Monastir will attempt to maintain their lead in the standings when they host AS Soliman.
ES Sahel have temporarily overtaken Club Africain in third place after a 4-1 victory over JS Omrane.
Also scheduled for Sunday afternoon are EGS Gafsa vs CA Bizertin and US Ben Guerdane vs AS Gabès, both kicking off at 13:30 GMT.
But all eyes will be firmly fixed on Radès, where more than just points are at stake in a derby already brimming with narrative, controversy, and championship implications.
