Africain’s Win Over Gabes Marred by Fan Fury and Coach's Frustration

In the decisive game of the first half of the Tunisian Professional League season, Club Africain defeated Avenir Sportif de Gabès by a slim margin of 1-0 on Saturday. Africain supporters' ire at their team's performance dominated the game, even though they won.

Club Africain, who won their last league title in 2015, celebrated their ninth victory of the season, taking them to second place with 32 points—just one point behind leaders Stade Tunisien.

The only goal of the match came in the 35th minute from Bilel Aït Malek, keeping Africain's unbeaten streak alive since their only loss in Round 9 to Stade Tunisien (1-0). Many supporters were dissatisfied with the team's performance, particularly in the second half, despite the fact that they achieved a result.

Africain's fans were so upset that they blamed the head coach, David Bettoni, for what they saw as a weak performance. Some fans even threw bottles toward the substitutes’ bench, almost hitting Bettoni. This made the French coach very angry, and he showed his frustration after the game ended.

Bettoni shared his disappointment, saying, "We played well even though six important players were missing because of injuries and suspensions. I don’t understand why the fans acted so badly. Throwing bottles was very wrong, and I’m really upset and angry about what happened today."

Among the absentees were Ghaith Zaalouni, Hamdi Labidi, and team captain Ahmed Khalil.

Sources close to the club revealed that Club Africain's president, Heikel Dkhil, spoke with Bettoni after the match and apologized for what he called the "isolated individual act" of one fan.

Given the team's relative stability under Bettoni—Africain hasn't experienced such continuity in recent years—many supporters on social media denounced the fan conduct despite the violent reaction.

Bettoni, who joined the club in July 2024 after his stint as Zidane's assistant at Real Madrid, now faces mounting pressure to calm the storm and maintain his position amid rising fan expectations.