CSS: The Truth Match | La Presse de Tunisie

For coach Nabil Kouki, who is more than ever on the hot seat, and for his players who no longer have the right to poor performances and bad results, a resurgence against ST is imperative.

The great disappointment and the beginning of anger among Sfaxian fans after the end of the classic match against CA in a draw was understandable, even legitimate. Certainly, no one expected to see a great CSS after a long two-month break and a rather timid winter transfer window, but we still hoped for slight improvement and a small margin of progression that would indicate the team is on the right track. None of this has happened so far, and we are still at square one, forced to ask the same questions. With this still modest squad despite the arrival of Adel Bellamine and Chawki Ben Khedher, with this diamond 4-4-2 formation that coach Nabil Kouki continues to adopt without having the two key pieces for the success of this system (a playmaker who distributes the final decisive passes in the gaps and two good finishers who complement each other), does CSS have what it takes to return to glory after 11 years of failure or even a place in the Champions League? We would like to not lose hope from the start, but the two points dropped at home in the first round of the play-offs, with only one bonus point at kickoff, have tempered the enthusiasm of the most optimistic. The second match against ST in Bardo is therefore of crucial importance for Nabil Kouki and his men. Only a victory can breathe hope into the Black and White camp. Nabil Kouki knows very well that he is playing big in this confrontation with the Stadistes and that his fate will depend on the result this afternoon.

Redistribution of roles

He undoubtedly made his mea culpa after the failed classic match, which was truly much ado about nothing. The baptism of fire for Adem Bellamine with CSS as a right-back was not a good choice. This player does not have the quick transition speed of a full-back who pushes forward rapidly. For today’s match, Kouki must come up with something different with a winger who knows how to defend well and provide support and numerical superiority in the attacking phase. Similar to what Aziz Saihi does on the left side. The second bad choice by Nabil Kouki was placing Achraf Habbassi as a stationary player behind the point of the attack as a playmaker. He is a player who makes runs on the wings and can increase the pace. This bet, which did not pay off, will also be reviewed and corrected to find a better formula. Waddhah Zaïdi can be a solution for more players with attacking prowess in the opponent’s box.

The third criticism he received was that with eleven against ten, at a time when more attacking options were needed, he made questionable changes, position by position (taking out Hazem Haj Hassen, Achraf Habbassi, and Baraket Lahmidi and bringing in Youssef Becha, Diby Berenger, and Aziz Sekrafy) as if to defend the draw. This bold move that he did not make in Sfax, he will be forced to use it in the away game against ST to aim for a much-needed victory for him and his team. With the same players, but with a change in positioning on the starting board and the option for another game system, appropriate for the crucial stakes of this afternoon’s match.