Why was the Espérance – Al Masry friendly match stopped?

The friendly match between Espérance Sportive de Tunis and the Egyptian club Al Masry from El Beïrouz, played on Sunday evening, was overshadowed by unfortunate incidents that led to its premature halt.

This friendly encounter between the Tunisian and Egyptian sides took place at the “Hassen Belkhodja” stadium, within the Espérance sports complex in the capital, under the supervision of Tunisian international referee Naïm Hosni.

The first half ended goalless, but just ten minutes into the second period, Egyptian striker Salah Mohsen put his team ahead. Despite numerous attempts from Espérance to level the score, tensions quickly escalated on the pitch.

In the 85th minute, a verbal altercation broke out between Espérance defender Mohamed Amin Tougai and an Al Masry player, which sparked a mass brawl among the players. The situation worsened when a large number of fans invaded the field, forcing referee Naïm Hosni to call off the match in the 88th minute to ensure everyone's safety.

Al Masry criticizes unsportsmanlike conduct

Al Masry club released an official statement confirming the safety of its delegation, while also expressing outrage at the unsportsmanlike behavior displayed by some Espérance players.

Mr. Mohamed Moussa, a member of Al Masry’s board of directors and head of the delegation in Tunisia, confirmed that all members of the traveling party—including technical staff and players—were in perfect health. He specified that Al Masry’s representatives returned safely to their hotel in Sousse after the conclusion of Sunday’s friendly against Espérance, which had been marred by tensions from certain Espérance players and supporters directed at Al Masry’s squad.

These tensions forced the referee to stop the match three minutes before the end of regulation, with the score at 1-0 in favor of Al Masry thanks to a goal from their star Salah Mohsen.

Mr. Mohamed Moussa strongly condemned the excesses of certain Espérance players during the match, stressing that referee Naïm Hosni turned a blind eye to these actions, which only fueled the escalation and resulted in a match ending completely contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship, seriously tarnishing Espérance’s image.

Read also: 🔴 Official: Nabil Kouki appointed as Al Masry head coach!

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.