Espérance edge Stade Tunisien, announce Patrice Beaumelle as new head coach

Houssem Tka’s first half strike was enough for reigning Tunisia Ligue 1 Professionnelle champions Espérance de Tunis to seize first place with a 1-0 victory over Stade Tunisien.

The Tunisia national team midfielder was in the right spot to fire into the roof of the net after getting on the end of a cross from recent signing Mohamed Dräger. The result moves Taraji a point ahead of closest contenders Club Africain and five points ahead of Saturday’s opponents while still having played one less match.

Despite a busy start to 2026, EST are navigating the fixture congestion relatively well. Their CAF Champions League campaign was shaky at times in the group stage but they have managed to qualify for the quarterfinals while still maintaining the pace at the top of the table in their domestic league.

Ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal duel with Egyptian titans Al Ahly, Le sang et l’or have three league fixtures against manageable opponents over the next two weeks.

In the meantime, the club have hired a new head coach. Patrice Beaumelle, most recently with Angola at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, was announced as the new manager shortly before Saturday’s match with a more formal unveiling scheduled in the coming days.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by الترجي الرياضي التونسي (@esperance_sportive_detunis)

Next up for Taraji is a clash on Wednesday against ES Métlaoui.

Where Espérance sits on the league table