In their second group stage match in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, Tunisian powerhouse Esperance Tunis had to settle for a goalless draw against Sagrada Esperança on Friday at Estádio 11 de Novembro in Angola.
Despite facing fierce opposition from a Sagrada team keen to recover from their crushing opening loss, the outcome means Esperance is still undefeated in Group D.
Despite having defeated Djoliba 4-0 in their group opener, Esperance, under coach Laurentiu Reghecampf, found it difficult to overcome Sagrada’s strong defensive setup.
The Sagrada custodian and defenders were adequate to the task, even though the visitors dominated possession and created numerous opportunities.
The game was plenty of opportunities, with Youcef Belaïli and Rodrigo Rodrigues of Esperance coming close in the first half.
Beny Papel and Mussá gave the home team another danger, spurred on by a boisterous crowd, but neither side was able to make the game-winning breakthrough.
Houssem Tka and Hamza Jelassi of Esperance were both booked for fouls in the last minutes, adding to the late drama and highlighting how fierce the match was.
Reghecampf’s team will be upset that they didn’t take advantage of their chances, especially because they want to keep their lead in Group D.
After losing to Pyramids 5-1 in the first game, Sagrada will view the outcome as a positive step.
The Angolan team’s remarkable home winning streak now stands at nine games across all competitions.
With four points from two games, Esperance now leads Group D, while Sagrada earned their first point of the season.
Pyramids, who before Friday’s game were tied with Esperance on three points, will play Djoliba on Sunday in a game that might further upset the rankings.
As each side in Group D aims to make it to the knockout stage of Africa’s top club championship, the stakes are still quite high.