Espérance Sportive de Tunis continued their defence of the Tunisian Cup with an impressive 3-0 away victory against Baath Bouhajla in the quarter-finals.
The Tunisian giants gradually took control of the contest before producing a dominant second-half performance that secured their place in the semi-finals of the competition.
A spectacular late strike from young forward Haitham became the defining moment of the match, with many supporters describing it as one of the finest goals seen in Tunisian football this season.
Esperance entered the encounter aiming to continue their strong domestic form and retain the trophy they won last season.
Despite the difference in experience and technical quality between the sides, Baath Bouhajla managed to frustrate the visitors during large parts of the opening half.
The home side showed strong defensive resistance and attempted to slow the rhythm of the match, limiting Esperance’s attacking opportunities for long periods.
However, the pressure from the visitors eventually produced a breakthrough before half-time.
Mohamed Ben Ali opened the scoring in the 38th minute to give Esperance a deserved advantage after a patient attacking display.
The goal shifted momentum further in favour of the visitors, who returned after the interval with greater control of possession and attacking intensity.
Baath Bouhajla’s task became significantly more difficult midway through the second half when player Hazem Midani was sent off in the 69th minute.
Reduced to ten men, the home side struggled to contain Esperance during the closing stages of the match as spaces began to open across the pitch.
Esperance fully capitalised on the numerical advantage and increased the pressure in search of a decisive second goal.
That moment arrived in spectacular fashion in the 86th minute.
Haitham produced a brilliant finish after receiving a pass from Mohamed Ben Ali inside the penalty area before striking a powerful effort into the far corner.
The goal immediately attracted widespread attention on social media, where supporters and observers praised both the technical quality of the finish and the composure shown by the young striker.
Many fans described the strike as one of the standout goals of the 2025-2026 Tunisian football season.
Esperance completed the victory deep into stoppage time when promising forward Amanallah Touati added a third goal in the 90+3 minute.
The late goal underlined the complete dominance of the team from Bab Souika, who controlled the final stages of the quarter-final encounter.
With the result, Esperance secured their place among the final four teams in the Tunisian Cup and moved one step closer to successfully defending the title.
They now join CS Sfaxien and Espérance Sportive de Zarzis in the semi-finals.
The final semi-final position will be decided following the meeting between Sakiet Eddaier and Jeunesse Sportive d’Omrane.
Esperance’s latest performance reinforced their status as favourites to retain the trophy, with the team once again combining experience, attacking quality and depth at a decisive stage of the competition.
