Esperance de Tunis claimed a 2-0 win over CR Belouizdad in the 2020-21 CAF Champions League quarterfinal second-leg at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Tunisia.

This 2-0 home victory meant that the aggregate score ended 2-2, which meant the game had to go to penalties. Esperance went on to secure a 3-2 victory over the Algerian side Belouizdad on penalties and that meant that the Tunisian giants advanced to their 11th CAFCL semifinal.

The Tunisian champions will now face defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt in a mouthwatering semifinal clash next month.

The Blood and Gold dominated the match from the start as they looked to grab an early goal in order to unsettle the Great Chabab’s defence and find a way back into the tie given that they lost the first leg 2-0 away from home.

However, Belouizdad were able to defend very well against Esperance’s dangerous attackers Hamdou El Houni, Anice Badri and Basit Abdul Khalid. The score was 0-0 during the halftime break and Belouizdad maintained their 2-0 aggregate advantage.

 

 

Esperance continued to struggle to break down the Belouizdad defence and that forced the hosts’ head coach Moine Chaabani to make changes in the 53rd minute.

The two-time CAF Champions League-winning coach introduced the Algerian duo of Abdelraouf Benguit and Ilyes Chetti as the home side looked to break the deadlock and it was Benguit who proved to be an inspired substitution as the 25-year-old beat Belouizdad goalkeeper Toufik Moussaoui to make it 1-0 to Esperance in the 68th minute.

The momentum was with the Blood and Gold in the closing stages and they managed to keep their CAF Champions League hopes alive with just three minutes left on the clock as Mohamed Ben Romdhane scored to make it 2-0.

Badri set up Ben Romdhane to seal Esperance’s 2-0 win over Belouizdad after which a penalty shootout followed.

Esperance went on to win 3-2 on penalties with Benguit converting the final spot-kick in what ended up being a dream game for the youngster.