Esperance secured their place in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals with a composed 2-0 victory over Petro de Luanda at the Stade Hammadi Agrebi in Rades.
The Tunisian side only needed to avoid defeat to progress from Group D, but they delivered a confident performance to claim all three points and finish second behind Stade Malien. The result confirmed their passage to the knockout stage and ended Petro’s continental campaign.
The first half was largely cagey, with both teams struggling to create clear scoring opportunities. Possession was evenly contested, and neither goalkeeper was seriously tested as the match went into the break goalless.
Esperance came out with greater urgency in the second half and made an immediate breakthrough. Just 46 seconds after the restart, substitute Chiheb Jbeli played a precise pass into the path of Aboubacar Diakite, who calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give the hosts the lead and ignite the home crowd.
Petro de Luanda, who required a positive result to keep their qualification hopes alive, pushed forward in response and enjoyed more of the ball, finishing with 58 percent possession. However, they struggled to create meaningful chances and failed to register a single shot on target.
Esperance remained organised and efficient in attack. With nine minutes remaining, they doubled their advantage when Jack Diarra met a low cross from Moez Ben Haj Ali inside the box and guided his finish home to seal the victory and spark celebrations in the stands.
The hosts ended the match with 15 shots and created two clear chances, underlining their control in the decisive moments of the game.
The victory came days after Esperance appointed Christian Bracconi as temporary head coach following the dismissal of Maher Kanzari due to disappointing performances, including a 1-0 defeat away to Stade Malien in their previous group match.
Esperance now turn their attention to domestic action with an upcoming Ligue I fixture against AS Soliman, while Petro de Luanda shift focus back to their league campaign after exiting the competition.
