Fergie Chambers' message to Club Africain fans after the defeat against EST!
Fergie Chambers, the American Muslim investor and supporter of Club Africain, reacted to the "Red and White" defeat in the capital derby against Espérance Sportive de Tunis (3-1), a highlight match of the 27th day of the Tunisian championship.
The goals for Espérance were scored by Hamza Jelassi (12'), Rodrigo (85'), and Al-Jabri (92'). Meanwhile, Hamdi Laabidi scored the only goal for Club Africain from a penalty at the 47th minute.
On his official Facebook account, Fergie Chambers addressed a message to the discontented fans of Club Africain. Here is the translation of his message:
To the African Nation I’m very sorry we couldn’t give you a better result today. Very sorry.
And I’m still proud of these guys, and I believe in our project, and we are one unit, climbing a mountain together.
Last June, I came to a club that was dying in a pit. We all knew that coming back was going to take a long time, that there is no magic solution, but we advanced so quickly this year, and we have come so close to the apex, so many times, that it makes the growing pains hurt worse than they might otherwise.
Talent for talent, these boys can ball with anyone. But we lack some force through the middle, and a team which is older and more experienced knew this, sat back and exploited us with the counter attack. They knew they couldn’t penetrate our defense the normal way, and they played it right.
We saw the same weaknesses and mistakes that we’ve seen all year; we know what we need to build. We cannot let one night with our rival put us to sleep.
When I met Haykel Dekhil, I told him that the goal was to compete in Africa next year. This is a goal that is still in our sights, and there is a cup to play for. Inchallah we can advance towards those goals, and then we must adjust to go even higher next year.
My affection and trust go to the entire staff, administration, coaches, and players. I thank each of them for the total effort they have provided on the field, even if mistakes were made. The willpower was never lacking. They came to fight, and they did not falter. A great organization, an organization with integrity, does not react by blaming and sacrificing heads in times of difficulty. It moves forward, adapts, and evolves. I wish to stand on the podium with these men who fought together, failed together, and who, Inchallah, will triumph together. A great project is built on patience.
If we do not achieve our goals this season, we will reassess our plan. But there are still weeks to play.
Once again, I am sorry for the pain you, millions of supporters, feel. I will not sleep until this pain turns into joy. I take nothing for granted and do not live in a bubble.
Let's finish this spring with our heads held high, and build a future that no one would have imagined.
Long live the Club 🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪
It should be noted that this defeat pushes Club Africain back to fourth place in the standings, one point behind Étoile du Sahel (3rd with 54 points and a game in hand), while EST and USMO share the lead with 59 points. The upcoming matches will be decisive.
Also read: Maria Guardiola's visit to the Tunisian derby stirs excitement!
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