Esperance have been champions of Tunisia for the last three seasons and are twice winners of the CAF Champions` League. This will be the club`s 3rd appearance in the FIFA World Club Cup. In the other two they reached quarter-final stage. In 2011 they lost the fifth-place play-off match but won it in 2018 defeating Guadalajra. But it wasn`t all plain sailing for Esperance in the path to the 2019 World Club finals in Qatar. It was fully three months after they won their domestic final against Wydad Casablanca, (0-0 and 1-0) before they were awarded the title after a disputed 2nd Leg of the Final. Wydad had an equalizing goal disallowed for off-side. The VAR did not work so a review could not take place. The match was held up for 80 minutes before the referee abandoned the game and ruled that Wydad had forfeited the game. In June the CAF Executive Committee ordered a replay as well as ordering Esperance to return the trophy and medals. A replay of the 2nd Leg was ruled out by CAS on July 31st and on August 7th Esperance were declared Champions after the CAF Disciplinary Board ruled
“Wydad is considered to have lost the game in the 2nd Leg.”
They don`t come any more legendary in Tunisian football than coach Mouine Chaabani who is an Esperance legend. He spent 10 years as a player with them winning six league titles and three domestic cups. Mouine had spells in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and at Tunisian club Hammam-Lif. The former defender, and captain, was appointed Esperance coach in October 2018 and within weeks the team clinched the continental title and Chaabani became full-time coach. Esperance retained their title in 2019.
Esperance have a quality squad and can field a starting XI of full internationals. They have a prolific scoring trio up front; Anice Badri, Taha Yassine Khenissi and Youcef Belaili and are equally strong at the back where skipper Khalil Chemmam and veteran goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia are the bedrock of their defence.
