Club World Cup: Espérance de Tunis at full strength

Reigning African champions Espérance Tunis are set to make their Club World Cup debut on Saturday, taking on UAE side Al Ain in the quarter-finals. The Tunisian giants, known as the Blood and Gold, have been preparing meticulously for the clash, completing their penultimate training session on Friday with the full squad available.

Coach Mouine Chaabani welcomed back Saad Beguir, the attacking midfielder who had been sidelined since the Clasico against Étoile du Sahel due to an injury. Although Beguir is fit, he is not expected to start the match as Chaabani looks to manage his return carefully. Meanwhile, Youssef Belaili, who missed part of Tuesday’s training with knee discomfort, has recovered and trained normally, and is expected to feature in the starting lineup.

The Tunisian side will aim to assert their dominance from the outset, relying on their experience as African champions and the depth of their squad. A win against Al Ain would see Espérance advance to the semi-finals of the 2018 Club World Cup, keeping their hopes alive for a historic run on the global stage.

Fans across Tunisia and Africa will be watching closely as Espérance Tunis take on the UAE club, eager to see how the continental champions fare against international opposition. With the squad now fully fit and morale high, the Blood and Gold will be determined to make a strong statement in their first match of the tournament.