In an exciting match at the top of the Tunisian Football League, Esperance Club of Tunisia defeated its African rival with a score of 2-1, but the celebrations for this victory were punctuated by riots and violence that spoiled the atmosphere.
The match was held yesterday evening, Sunday, on the ground of Hamadi Al-Aqrabi Stadium in Rades and turned into an arena of confrontation between the security forces and the fans present, which prompted the Tunisian Africa News Agency to describe it as “a derby of complete chaos.”
امس كان ديربي تونس بين الترجي والافريقي
الترجي صاحب المركز الاول في مجموعة التتويج الي فيها 6 اندية
والافريقي صاحب المركز الاخيرشوفو الجنون الي سواه جمهور الافريقي لدرجة ان حكم المباراة العراقي اضطر يوقف المباراة وصارت اشتباكات بين الجمهور ورجال الامن
والمعلق يقول احتفالات😂 pic.twitter.com/dJ78kEnQmC— FawaZ (@fawaz_9_6) June 3, 2024
According to what the agency reported, the match was stopped in the 86th minute when Iraqi referee Ahmed Kazem was forced to stop play due to violent clashes in the stands between fans and security forces, who used tear gas to disperse the crowds. As tensions subsided and the majority of the audience left the stadium, the match was resumed by decision of Judgment.
احداث صعبه اوي في الديربي بين الترجي والافريقي
ربنا يسترها على كل الناس في الملعب وميكونش فيه حاجه كبيرة وكله يرجع بيته ل اهله سليم
— Hommos Amgad (@Hommos_TooRusso) June 2, 2024
In the wake of these events, the Tunisian club, Esperance, filed an official complaint, indicating that the referee did not adhere to the regulations that stipulate stopping the match permanently if the stoppage period exceeded five minutes due to unrest by the opposing team. This complaint was announced on the Tunisian “Mosaique” Radio.
The start of the 2024 presidential election period in Tunisia