Club Africain secured a historic and last-minute 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Espérance de Tunis (EST), officially crowning them champions of the 2026 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1.
A Last-Gasp Derby Thriller
The Tunis Derby, held as part of Matchweek 29, was packed with intensity from the first whistle. The climax arrived in the final seconds of the match. Espérance came agonizingly close to scoring, but a heroic save from goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh kept the scores level. The rebound was quickly played out to Sadok Kdeda, who set up Ghaith Zaalouni to fire home the winning goal in the dying moments.
شووف|
النادي الإفريقي يتقدم 1-0 على الترجي الرياضي عن طريق غيث الزعلوني في الدقيقة 90+16#الدوري_التونسي#قنوات_الكاس || #منصة_شووف pic.twitter.com/MpYxN0P5R8— قنوات الكاس (@AlkassTVSports) May 10, 2026
VAR Drama and Celebrations
Espérance players protested heavily, claiming a penalty should have been awarded in the buildup and the goal disallowed. However, after a VAR review, the referee stood by his decision and confirmed Zaalouni’s goal, sparking wild celebrations for the “Red and Whites.”
Ending the Nine-Year Dominance
With this victory, Club Africain has officially broken Espérance’s absolute dominance over Tunisian football. Over the past nine years, the “Mkachkha” won the title eight times, with Etoile du Sahel being the only other team to break the streak three years ago.
This marks Club Africain’s first league title since 2015 and the 14th in their history. Despite the loss, Espérance remains the most decorated club in the competition with 34 titles.
