Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: Stade Mohamed V (Casblanca)
Referee: Amine Mohamed Omar 🇪🇬
This fixture will always be an unfinished business for Wydad. Flashback to 31st May 2019 when the second leg of the finals ended abruptly in Rades in the 63rd minute.
Esperance de Tunis was crowned CAF Champions League winners after their opponents, Wydad Casablanca, refused to return to the field in protest of VAR not being implemented on a goal that was ruled out.
They will meet for the first time since that disgraceful evening.
Wydad made light work on Enyimba by winning 4-0 on aggregate in the Quater finals of the AFL. Unbeaten in 9 games, 5 straight wins with just a goal conceded, Wydad is in hot form.
Adil Ramzi, 46, replaced Sven Vandenbroeck, who led Wydad to the finals of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League and has made Wydad a force to be reckoned with within a few months.
He has been able to blend the experience of skipper Yahya Jabrane, Attiyat Allah and Ayoub El Amloud with new signings like Soufyan Ahannach, Zakaria Draoui and Jarmal Harkass.
Esperance is very much aware of the threat Wydad poses at home- having drawn all 3 encounters since 2011.
Caretaker manager Tarek Thabet, 52, massacred TP Mazembe in Rhades. Algerian 23-year-old centre-back Mohamed Tougai sealed the 3-0 win over the Congolese giants after a brace from 25-year-old Tunisian international Oussema Bougerra.
Esperance is on top of the Tunisian LIGUE PROFESSIONNELLE 1 Group B with 2 games in hand.
Team News
Wydad
Many changes are not expected from the side that slaughtered Enyimba as no significant injury has been reported by Wydad.
Probable 11
4-2-3-1
El Motie (GK)
El Amloud, Aboulfath, Harkass, Attiyat Allah
Jabrane, Draoui, Lamiti, Boussefiane, Ahanach
El Bahri
Team News
Esperance
ES Tunis coach Tarek Thabet will be in a huge dilemma concerning his tactics and formation in Casablanca.
Many changes are not expected from the team that beat Enyimba.
Probable 11
3-4-3
Alla Memmiche (Gk)
Meria, Tougai, Ben Hamida
Ben Ali, Teka, Ouahabi, Bouguerra
Ghacha, Yan Sasse, Rodrigo Rodrigues
Prediction
A low-scoring encounter with Wydad having the edge slightly due to home advantage.
1-0.
