The “Blood and Gold” played with fire. It took all the goodwill of Marzouki for him to save the furniture at the end of the meeting, by offering the goal of victory and qualification for the group stage of the African C1.
Hammadi-Agrebi Olympic Stadium in Radès. EST beats Ahly Benghazi (3-2). (1-0 at half-time). Goals from Ghailane Chaalali (18 ‘sp), Ben Romdhane (62’) and Marzouki (85 ‘) for the EST; Naili (60 ‘) and Arfi (76’ sp) for Ahly Benghazi. Arbitration by Egyptian Mahmoud El Banna
EST: Ben Chérifia, Nagguez, Chetti, Bardrane, Yaakoubi, Coulibaly (Benguit 78 ‘), Chaalali, Ben Romdhane, Marzouki, Khénissi (Meziane 78’) and El Houni (Ben Hammouda 90 ‘+ 3).
By contenting themselves with a goalless draw in the first leg in Cairo, the “Blood and Gold” knew that this result rather suited the Libyans of Ahly Benghazi and that it was necessary to fight yesterday in the return match, and this, from the first minutes of play. To do this, the comrades of Hamdou El Houni have, from the start, operated by a high pressing. A first missed opportunity by Chaalali whose shot went slightly to the left side of Louhichi’s nets (5 ‘). Ten minutes later, the Esperanto defense almost destroyed all the efforts made by the attackers because of a bad replacement on the ground of the two axial ones. Naili was therefore face to face with Ben Chérifia. Fortunately, his soft shot was easily intercepted by the “blood and gold” goalkeeper (15 ‘).
After this little fright, the Esperantists quickly recovered and Khénissi, failing to put the ball directly in the net, caused a penalty after being jostled in the middle of the penalty area. A penalty converted by Chaalali (18 ‘).
Chaalali’s goal confirmed his comrades and Esperance to continue their high pressing. The “Blood and Gold” were even on the verge of doubling the bet: on a corner taken by Marzouki, Yaakoubi headed back and the goalkeeper Ahly Benghazi deflected the ball in extremis for a corner (30 ‘). At the end of the initial period, Coulibaly proved to be just as dangerous, but Louhichi in a big day, interposed his powerful shot on target (44 ‘).
Barely…
After the break, the Libyans were particularly dangerous. Served on a plate by one of his teammates, Bouaguila tried to defeat the vigilance of Ben Chérifia, but his shot went slightly above the crossbar (54 ‘).
A few minutes later, another error by the Esperanto defense was to prove fatal: following a long cross from the right, Ben Chérifia initially removed the danger by repelling Boudabbous’s shot before Naili took the ball back to Place it with a flick in the nets (60 ‘).
The goal of the equalizer from Naili did not destabilize the comrades of Ben Chérifia who, two minutes later, found the loophole: thanks to a superb shot from 20 meters, Ben Romdhane gave the advantage to the EST (62 ‘) .
At 74 ‘, the referee whistled a penalty in favor of the Libyans following a duel between Badrane and Boudabbous which fell in the 16-meter zone. A penalty converted by Arfi (76 ‘).
After this second misstep, luck would smile when even at the “Sang et Or” five minutes from the end of regulation time: Louhichi repelled a first shot from El Houni before Marzouki took the ball back to lodge it in the net, signing the goal of victory and qualification in the group stage of the African C1 (85 ‘).
The five minutes of additional time did not change the situation and Esperance to qualify, narrowly, in the group stage of the African C1 thanks to the self-sacrifice of Marzouki who continues to win a match to the other.
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