Tunisian Club Fans Protest in Wake of Losing Streak

Fans of Tunisian premier league side Club Africain on Sunday staged a protest waving placards in the wake of the outfit’s recent poor form.

Africain have managed only one victory in four of their last games, losing on two occasions consecutively.

The Stade El Menza outfit finished the previous term on third place and fans had expected they would be going a step further to make an audacious bid for a title charge this time. However, with four of the club’s biggest nemesis, Esperance de Tunis, Etoile Du Sahel, Metlaoui and CS Sfaxien already on a flying start, panic  is beginning to set in amongst increasingly impatient fans.

At the board’s level, there is uncertainty gaining ground over the future of business mogul and club chairman Slim Riahi with the 45-year-old, the club’s main sponsor, being investigated by the Tunisian government in relation to corruption.

Compounding the situation last week, gaffer Marco Simone inevitably became the topic of discussions. The Italian’s future is up on a thin thread after overseeing dismal runs.

Reports were rife about his sacking in recent days. Many had expected he will have his contract terminated but the board opted against his axing with the quarter-finals of the Total Confederation Cup against MC Algiers of Algeria just at the corner.

Sunday afternoon’s protest, supporters hope, pressures the newly installed interim committee into acting swiftly to contain the slowly escalating situation.

Photo Credit: kapitalis.com