In his first competitive match in the dugout, coach Mohamed Kouki led CS Sfaxien to a 1-0 victory at AFAD Djékanou in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Cup.
Club Sportif Sfaxien got the better of AFAD Djékanou on Saturday 17 October 2026 on Ivorian soil. A single goal was enough for the Tunisians to win 1-0 in this first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, BeSoccer reports. Kick-off was at 16:00 GMT, according to Sofascore.
The match marked the official debut of Mohamed Kouki, Sfaxien’s new coach, in the dugout, according to Le Temps News. The tactician therefore begins his tenure with an away win in a competition the Tunisian club knows well.
A watertight Tunisian defence
On the pitch, the Sfaxiens held firm against AFAD Djékanou. The Ivorians carved out chances but failed to convert them against the Tunisian defensive block, according to BeSoccer. The goal scored by the visitors was therefore enough to settle the tie.
The result puts CS Sfaxien in a very strong position for the group stage, according to Le Temps News. It is an away lead that can only be confirmed after the second leg, scheduled for Saturday 24 October 2026 at the Taïeb Mhiri stadium in Sfax.
In the meantime, the trip and the training camp in Abidjan were entirely funded by Mohamed Ali Hachicha, a CS Sfaxien director and benefactor, according to Le Temps News.
A league setback before the trip
The trip came after a below-par performance by the Sfaxiens in the Tunisian league against Progrès Sportif de Sakiet Eddaïer, Le Temps News reports.
The coach inherits a club accustomed to continental battles. Club Sportif Sfaxien are looking to reconnect with their glorious continental past in this competition, which they have won three times, according to Le Temps News.
Return journey and second leg
The Tunisians will not linger in Ivory Coast: the return trip to Tunisia is scheduled for Sunday, again according to Le Temps News, to prepare for the second leg. The Sfaxien staff will have a week to manage the narrow lead gained in Abidjan.
The second leg will be played on Saturday 24 October 2026 at the Taïeb Mhiri stadium in Sfax. A home fixture in which the Sfaxiens will try to secure their ticket to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, especially as AFAD showed they remain capable of creating chances.
For AFAD Djékanou, the task will therefore be to overturn the first-leg deficit on the pitch in Sfax, after missing their chances in Abidjan.