Esperance Tunis calls for the cancellation of Youssef Belaili's red card after Souihli crisis

Esperance Tunis has escalated its stance following its loss to Al-Suwaiq, filing an official complaint to the CAF today, demanding the cancellation of the red card received by captain Youssef Belaili after the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.

The Tunisian team lost the match held at Misrata Stadium 1-0, with Ayoub Ayad scoring the winning goal for Al-Suwaihli from a penalty in the 63rd minute. However, the repercussions of the match extended beyond the final whistle, with Blaili being sent off after protesting against the decisions of Congolese referee Jean-Pierre Ngini.

Tension flared between Esperance Tunis' captain and the referee in the closing moments over a penalty awarded to the Libyan team, which sparked widespread protests from the Tunisian club's players. According to reports regarding the incident, the referee showed a second yellow card to Belaili, which turned into a red card, threatening his absence from the upcoming return leg.

The protests from Esperance Tunis did not stop at the refereeing decisions, as their players expressed their objection to the penalty, considering it incorrect. Meanwhile, videos circulated on social media showed a state of chaos, which included some fans of Al-Suwaihli entering the pitch.

According to sources close to Esperance Tunis, the complaint directed to the CAF included the club's objection to the events that occurred at the end of the match, what it described as the fans storming the pitch, as well as a request to overturn the red card shown to Belaili.

The Tunisian club based its demands on the circulated video clips, considering that the actions of its captain came in the context of protesting against fans entering the pitch, and not merely in protest against the referee, according to the same sources.

The CAF Disciplinary Committee is expected to review Esperance Tunis' complaint in the coming days, before making a decision regarding the incident and potential penalties.

Esperance Tunis are set to face Al-Suwaihli again next Saturday at the Hamadi Agrebi Stadium in Rades, in the return leg where the Tunisian team aims to compensate for their loss and secure a place in the group stage.