It's official: ES Tunis confirms the worst for Youcef Belaïli!

Thunderbolt in Tunis: ES Tunis announces terrible news about Belaïli!

Africa 10 November 2025 at 07:34

It's now official: the dreaded nightmare has become reality. Espérance Sportive de Tunis confirmed on Monday the serious injury of their Algerian playmaker, Youcef Belaïli. Suffering a ruptured knee ligament during the derby against Club Africain, the Algerian international will be sidelined for at least six months. It's a massive blow for the player, his club, and also for the Algerian national team, just weeks before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

In a statement published on its official social media channels, ES Tunis specified:

"Our player Youcef Belaïli underwent medical examinations which confirmed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus. He will undergo surgery in the coming days."

This injury prematurely ends the season for the Oran native, who had just returned to top form since his comeback in Tunisia.

Belaïli will not only miss the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but also the Arab Cup, and remains doubtful for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. For a player whose career has often swung between moments of brilliance and cruel twists of fate, this new injury comes as a devastating setback. In both Algeria and Tunisia, the shockwaves are being felt: ES Tunis’s magician will be sorely missed on the pitch.