Tsfayer close to officiating Africain vs. Esperance clash in league

German referee Felix Zwayer is the leading candidate to officiate the match between Club Africain and Espérance, scheduled for next Sunday, November 22, 2026, in the eighth round of the Tunisian Professional League, in the capital derby that attracts significant public and media attention.

The Olympic Rades Stadium, located south of the capital Tunisia, will host the anticipated clash between Club Africain, the defending champions, and their traditional rivals Espérance, in one of the strongest and most exciting local matches for Tunisian fans.

The match is set to be officiated by a European refereeing crew, marking the first time this season that the Tunisian Football Federation has called upon referees from one of the five major European leagues. This decision comes due to the importance of the encounter and the sensitivity of the competition between the two teams, amid rising tensions and disputes between them since last season.

Reports from sources within the referees' committee of the Tunisian Football Federation reveal that German referee Felix Zwayer is at the top of the list of candidates to officiate the anticipated encounter.

Murad Dhammi, the former head of the referees committee of the Tunisian Football Federation and a former international referee close to the committee, confirmed that Tsafair is the chosen referee to manage the derby. He pointed out that the referees committee of the Bundesliga selected him, in preparation for his arrival in Tunisia before the match on Sunday, November 22.

In contrast, reports indicate that the German referee is among a limited list of European candidates presented to the referees' committee headed by Nagy El Jwaini. However, the final decision has not yet been made, with the possibility of an official announcement regarding the entire officiating crew on Thursday, November 19.

The nomination of Tsfar to officiate the derby has sparked widespread controversy among Club Africain and Espérance fans, particularly due to an old incident linked to his name during the early stages of his refereeing career, when he was suspended for 6 months over a match-fixing case.

The incident dates back to 2005, when Tsvaier was 23 years old and worked as an assistant referee to Robert, who was involved in managing a network for manipulating match results in favor of a Croatian betting mafia.

Before the match between Wuppertal and SV Werder Bremen, Heitzer offered Zver a sum of 300 euros to help sway the match in favor of Wuppertal, an incident that later led to the German referee being suspended from officiating for 6 months.

Felix Zwayer is 44 years old and received his international badge in 2012. He has officiated at major tournaments, the most recent being the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he led two matches in the group stage, notably the clash between the United States and Australia.

He has previously officiated matches in the UEFA European Championship, in addition to leading the Final of the UEFA Europa League between Tottenham and Manchester United.

This season, referee Zwayer has officiated two matches in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, the first between Arsenal and Lille, and the second between Villarreal and Paris Saint-Germain, in addition to several matches in the Bundesliga.