ES Tunis is gearing up to face 14-time Algerian champions JS Kabylie in the first leg of their CAF Champions League quarter-final at the Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers on Friday night. The Tunisian club, winners of back-to-back Champions League titles in 2018 and 2019, are once again in the competition’s final eight for the seventh consecutive year.
Having topped Group D with only one loss in six matches, ES Tunis is in a strong position. However, Nabil Maaloul’s squad has struggled in away games, securing victory in just one of their four away ties this season. They now face a formidable JS Kabylie team that boasts an impressive home record, having won all their home games in this year’s competition.
The two teams are familiar foes, having previously met in the 2019-20 CAF Champions League group stage, where each side claimed a win. JS Kabylie, led by coach Miloud Hamdi, will aim to maintain their perfect home record on Friday. The team has secured victories over Casa Sports, ASKO Kara, Wydad Casablanca, AS Vita Club, and Petro de Luanda to advance to the knockout stages.
JS Kabylie finished second in Group A, behind defending champions Wydad Casablanca, marking their first qualification for the knockout stage since 2010. Despite their strong performance in the Champions League, JS Kabylie has struggled domestically this season, currently sitting 15th in Algeria’s top league after finishing as runners-up last year.
As the quarter-finals approach, defending champions Wydad will take on Simba, while Al Ahly, the most successful club in CAF Champions League history with ten titles, faces Raja Club Athletic. The winners of these ties could meet either Esperance de Tunis or JS Kabylie in the semi-finals, with first legs scheduled for April 21-22.
Both ES Tunis and JS Kabylie will look to capitalize on their strengths in what promises to be an exciting and tightly contested quarter-final.
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