Club Africain right-back Ghaith Zaalouni has emerged as one of the biggest winners from the club’s preparations for the new season after impressing coach Maher Kanzari.
The defender’s consistent performances in training and pre-season matches have strengthened his prospects of starting the campaign, with Kanzari continuing to assess his options ahead of the team’s first competitive fixture.
Zaalouni is understood to have been among the players who made the strongest impression on the new Club Africain coach during the preparation period.
His physical condition, technical ability and consistency have reportedly helped him gain the confidence of the coaching staff and establish himself as a serious option on the right side of defence.
Kanzari has been using the period before the start of official competition to identify the players he intends to rely on for the coming campaign.
That process is particularly important for Club Africain because the Tunisian club faces a demanding season, with the defence of the Tunisian league title and participation in the African Champions League among its priorities.
Against that backdrop, Zaalouni’s progress has given Kanzari another option as he works towards settling on his preferred starting XI.
The right-back has maintained a steady level throughout different stages of the club’s preparations, demonstrating that he can compete for a regular position rather than simply providing squad depth.
His performances have therefore placed him in a favourable position as the opening competitive match approaches.
Zaalouni is not the only player to have benefited from the preparation period.
Several other members of the squad have also attracted the attention of the technical staff, creating competition for places throughout the team.
Among those to have made a positive impression is new signing Haykel Cheikhaoui.
Cheikhaoui has shown encouraging signs since arriving at the club and has given the coaching staff another player to consider as they finalise their plans.
Striker Sadek Kadida has also emerged as one of the players to impress during the preparations, while young midfielder Alain Franck Kante has provided further evidence of the depth available to Kanzari.
However, information from within the Club Africain camp suggests Zaalouni remains among the biggest beneficiaries of the pre-season work.
His ability to convince Kanzari of his readiness has increased the possibility of him playing a significant role when competitive football begins.
For Kanzari, the challenge now is to turn the observations made during pre-season into a settled team capable of meeting Club Africain’s objectives.
The coach must balance established players with those who have used the preparation period to push themselves into contention for starting positions.
Zaalouni appears to have done enough to put himself firmly into that conversation.
The right-back’s performances have provided him with an opportunity to begin the season in a prominent role, but he will still need to maintain his level once official matches begin.
The club’s ambitions will demand consistency, particularly with domestic and continental football on the schedule.
Club Africain will be looking to defend their Tunisian league title while also competing in the African Champions League, increasing the importance of having players capable of performing reliably across a demanding campaign.
For Zaalouni, the immediate objective will be to justify the faith Kanzari has placed in him.
The preparation period has given him a strong platform, and his performances have made him one of the players most closely associated with the coach’s evolving plans.
As the first official match draws closer, Zaalouni now has the chance to turn his impressive pre-season into a regular starting role and become an important part of Club Africain’s campaign.
