Espérance Sportive de Tunis came away with a 0-0 draw at Misrata on Sunday 18 October against Libyan club Al-Swehly in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
No goals were scored at Misrata. On Sunday 18 October 2026, Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Libyan club Al-Swehly played out a 0-0 draw, according to Tunisie Numérique, Flashscore and BeSoccer. A blank scoreline at the end of a match in which both sides had their chances, but failed to take them on several occasions.
A goalless draw under referee Nguiene
Kick-off was at 18:00 local time, under the direction of Congolese referee Pierre Jean Nguiene, Tunisie Numérique reports. At half-time the score was already 0-0, despite several attempts from both teams. The scoreboard remained unchanged until the final whistle.
Espérance travelled to Misrata with a squad missing two defenders. Centre-back Marouane Sahraoui was absent due to a cruciate ligament rupture, while right-back Mohamed Ben Ali was unavailable with a muscle injury, African Manager reports.
Spanish coach Pablo Franco, in charge of Espérance, therefore had to do without both players for this first encounter.
Al-Swehly, an opponent already up to speed
Al-Swehly had qualified from the previous rounds by seeing off Zanzibar’s KVZ, with a 1-0 win followed by a 3-0 victory, a 4-0 aggregate, according to Eurosport and Méga Sports.
For their part, Espérance de Tunis, four-time African champions, entered the competition at this stage, having been exempt from the first preliminary round, Méga Sports notes.
The context of the first leg was also unusual: the Libyan authorities had refused to grant a quota of tickets to Tunisian fans before the match, Tunisie Numérique reports.
Rendezvous on 24 October at Radès
The decision will come in the second leg, scheduled for Saturday 24 October 2026 at 17:00 at the Hamadi Agrebi stadium in Radès. The match will be refereed by Morocco’s Jalel Jayed.
Qualification for the group stage will therefore be decided in that match, as Tunisie Numérique points out.
There is also a significant financial stake: CAF guarantees 6 million dollars to the eventual winner of the tournament and 100,000 dollars in logistical compensation to teams eliminated at this round, CAF Online notes.