A volley from Oussema Bougherra in the second half was the only goal as Olympique Béja stunned Espérance ST by a 1-0 score in Sunday’s Coupe de Tunisie final. The victory gives OB their third Coupe de Tunisie title and the club’s first since 2010 to qualify for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup. For EST, the club will turn their attention to the Ligue 1 Professionnelle where the defending champions are currently in fourth place.
The reigning Tunisian champions showed some signs of their quality in the first half but poor finishing allowed OB to gain confidence over the course of the match. EST goalkeeper Mohamed Sedki Debchi was fortunate to avoid embarrassment when he watched a first half cross hit the frame of his goal. Brave goalkeeping from OB’s Achraf Krir during important moments kept his team in the match and set the stage for the second half match winner.
In the 66th minute a long ball from the OB defense was flicked into the EST penalty area and a poor clearance fell to Lamine Ba on the right wing. The substitute sent in a cross towards the far post for Bougherra to volley low past Sedki Debchi and put OB into the lead. Espérance attempted to push forward but Krir and his defense preserved the advantage for the club from the north of the country.
Highlights from the final are below.
