The JS Kabylie football team from Algeria will today travel to Tunis, Tunisia, in preparation for their African Champions League match against Esperance Sportive de Tunis on Friday. The team has been training for three days at the 1er Novembre stadium before departing at 12:15 local time and arriving at 13:25. Upon arrival, JSK will hold a training session later today for recovery and another on Thursday, the eve of the match.
The team is highly motivated after their first-day victory against AS Vita Club, which boosted their morale. The players are focused on achieving another positive result to add more points to their tally. JSK's coach, Hubert Velud, has emphasized the importance of the match and has motivated his team to perform well against the reigning African champions. Velud has been working on addressing the team's weaknesses, particularly their lack of effectiveness in front of the opponent's goal.
However, JSK will be without two key players: attacker Belgherbi, who is out with an ischio-jambier injury sustained during the match against AS Vita Club, and midfielder Juba Oukaci, who is also injured. The team's medical staff has confirmed that Belgherbi's return will take some time. Additionally, the participation of left-back Walid Bencherifa is uncertain due to injuries sustained during training, although his name has been included in the 20-man squad list.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed a Senegalese referee trio for the match, led by Maguette Ndiaye, with El Hadji Samba and Nouha Bangoura as assistants. This match is part of the second day of Group D in the African Champions League. In the first day, JSK won a valuable victory at home against AS Vita Club (1-0), while Esperance Sportive de Tunis defeated Raja Casablanca (2-0) in Morocco.
The team's preparation in Tunis seems to be going well, with all conditions in place for a successful match. The players are highly concentrated, and the coaching staff is optimistic about their chances. JSK aims to build on their previous victory and achieve another positive result against the strong Tunisian team.
Coach Velud has already identified replacements for the injured Belgherbi and Oukaci. The team's strategy will focus on exploiting the opponent's weaknesses while maintaining a solid defense. The match against Esperance Sportive de Tunis promises to be a challenging encounter, with both teams eager to secure a win.
The other match in Group D will take place on Saturday, with AS Vita Club facing Raja Casablanca. The group standings are currently led by Esperance Sportive de Tunis and JSK, who will clash on Friday at the Radès stadium in Tunis. The match is expected to be a thrilling encounter between two strong teams.
Key points
- JSK will be without injured players Belgherbi and Oukaci.
- The match will be refereed by a Senegalese trio led by Maguette Ndiaye.
- JSK is motivated after their first-day victory against AS Vita Club.
