Tunisia’s Ligue 1 Professionnelle opened up the 2022-23 season with six matches on Friday and Saturday with Étoile du Sahel and Stade Tunisien among the teams kicking off their campaigns. ESS edged US Tatouine 2-1 with Houssem Souissi scoring the second half winner after Congolese striker Vinny Kombe saw his opener cancelled out by UST’s Mohamed Mejri. Stade Tunisien shutout ES Hammam-Sousse by a 2-0 score with Senegalese 2021 COSAFA Cup star Dominique Mendy among the scorers for ST, who put the match away with two early goals.
There was unresolved business from last season after CS Chebba were reinstated into Tunisia’s top division due to a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport that determined Chebba’s defeat to Club Africain at the end of the 2021-22 season was invalid because CA’s suspended president Youssef Elmi was on the bench. One more team needed to be added with Chebba’s reinstatement and a three-team playoff proceeded with its first match on Saturday with ES Zarzis defeating CS Hammam-Lif 3-1. Zarzis will now face ES Métlaoui in a one-off match to determine the 16th team in the competition.
Highlights from ES Zarzis’ playoff win are below following the scores and highlights from the wins for ESS and Stade Tunisien.
Scores
US Ben Guerdane 1-0 EO Sidi Bouzid
AS Rejiche 0-0 AS Soliman
CS Chebba 3-0 CA Bizertin
Étoile du Sahel 2-1 US Tataouine
Stade Tunisien 2-0 ES Hammam-Sousse
Playoff Match for final Ligue 1 spot
ES Zarzis 3-1 CS Hammam-Lif
ES Zarzis advance to play ES Métlaoui with the winner competing in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season
Highlights
Étoile du Sahel 2-1 US Tataouine
Stade Tunisien 2-0 ES Hammam-Sousse
ES Zarzis 3-1 CS Hammam-Lif
CS Chebba 3-0 CA Bizertin