Espérance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia has become the third African club to exit the FIFA Club World Cup, following a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea FC in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Despite a spirited effort, the Tunisian side, missing their suspended striker Youcef Belaili, could not overcome the English giants.
“We were hoping to beat Chelsea, but that’s football,” remarked coach Maher Kanzari, acknowledging the missed opportunity for the 2024 CAF Champions League finalists.
The path for African clubs in the tournament has been challenging, marked by earlier eliminations. Egypt’s Al Ahly, despite a thrilling 4-4 draw against Portugal’s FC Porto where they led four times, also bowed out. Wessam Abou Ali notably scored a hat-trick for Al Ahly. While not enough for progression, this performance was historic, making Al Ahly the first African team to score four goals against a European club in the tournament.
Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca also faced an early exit. This leaves South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as the sole African representative. The Sundowns are scheduled to play a crucial qualification match against Brazil’s Fluminense this Wednesday, June 25, carrying the remaining hopes for the continent.
With African clubs being eliminated successively, all eyes are now on Mamelodi Sundowns as they attempt to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
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