Tunisian giants Espérance ST want to secure first place in Group D of the CAF Champions League but face a difficult battle in Cairo against Pyramids FC on Sunday (16:00 GMT). EST emerged victorious in the first clash between the two teams in Tunis but a rejuvenated Pyramids team want to take a step closer to securing qualification for the quarterfinals.
Group D Table
Games | Points | |
| 3 | 7 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 3 | 2 |
Pyramids FC
It has been a decent 2024-25 campaign for Pyramids so far. The big budget club from Cairo are at the top in the early stages of the Egyptian Premier League season and a friendly Champions League draw gives them an easy path to the quarterfinals. A difficult period in December saw the club struggle with an illness that spread through the team, resulting in a draw at Djoliba and a decisive defeat at Espérance. However the club bounced back and won two consecutive domestic league matches to conclude 2024.
Coach Krunoslav Jurčić employs an entertaining style of play, utilizing the good depth in his squad to maintain a high energy attacking approach. Attacking fullbacks Mohamed Chibi and Mohamed Hamdi are important presences for Pyramids to use the entire pitch but late news indicates that Chibi is unavailable, leaving Pyramids a bit unbalanced. The center of the defense is a bit slow and continues to be an area of concern for the club while injuries have impacted the center of the midfield.
Burkina Faso national team midfielder Ibrahim Blati Touré is back from injury to reinforce the midfield at a crucial time and appears likely to start while Moroccan midfielder Walid El Karti is also rediscovering his form. Fiston Mayele is set to be the striker up top where the Congolese has been most productive in continental competition. Ibrahim Adel should feature after being suspended for a match due to poor behavior after a transfer abroad broke down and also of note is that Nigerian forward Sodiq Awujoola is avaiable after being registered in the Champions League squad for the new year.
Espérance ST
Espérance are unbeaten in eleven matches across all competitions and have launched themselves back towards the top of the table in Tunisia's Ligue 1 under Romanian coach Laurențiu Reghecampf. The coach is a demanding character who is beginning to get the best out of his players and an easy draw in Group D has allowed him to know his squad better. If EST avoid defeat on Sunday then the path is clear to win the group.
Reghecampf does have a couple of players out due to injury. Central defender Yassine Meriah is out with a long-term knee injury and Brazilian striker Rodrigo Rodrigues will also be unavailable. At the same time, Brazilian attacking midfielder Yan Sasse is back from injury to form a deadly creative duo with Algerian attacker Youcef Belaïli who continues to show his immense quality since joining from MC Alger. Foreign imports Abdramane Konaté (Ivory Coast) and Elias Mokwana (South Africa) have also made timely contributions in the attack this season.
Togolese national team player Roger Aholou and Tunisia's Houssem Tka form a strong central midfield. Young goalkeeper Amanallah Memmiche continues to develop and gain experience behind a defensive line that is now led by Algerian central defender Mohamed Amine Tougai with Meriah's absence. Journeyman defender Hamza Jelassi appears set to be the central partner of Tougai after the 33-year-old spent the last two seasons at EST rivals Etoile du Sahel.
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