page_title: Étoile Sportive du Sahel
section_title: African domination and rise to the international level (2006–2008)
hierarchical_section_title: Étoile Sportive du Sahel / History / African domination and rise to the international level (2006–2008)
caption_attribution_description: English: Aymen Mathlouthi
context_page_description: The Étoile Sportive du Sahel, is a sports club from Sousse in the Sahel region of Tunisia, known primarily for its football and basketball team. The club also has sections for handball, volleyball, judo and wrestling. ESS was founded on 11 May 1925 after a general meeting under the chairmanship of Chedly Boujemla, Ali Laârbi and Ahmed Zaklaoui, at the headquarters of the Association of the ancient French-Arab School in Laroussi Zarouk Street, in the heart of the ancient city of Sousse. The aim of the meeting was to establish a sports education society. The Tunisian flag was chosen in the selection of the colors of the team. The red shirt with the star and the white shorts. The French colonial authorities prevented the use of these colors, but with the insistence of the team leaders they prevailed and in the latter they played this kit. In English the name means Sport Star of the Sahel
  In Tunisia, Étoile du Sahel is considered to be one of the best clubs. For many years it had a reputation of playing entertaining football. In fact, the club has evolved recently into a more professional outfit capable of winning trophies at home and abroad.
context_section_description: Moez Driss became president on 8 June 2006 and Faouzi Benzarti was the team's coach. Benzarti was contracted with the team in order to resolve the second place node of the championship and continue to shine African and had what he wanted as the team was able to win the 2006 CAF Confederation Cup after beating his compatriot Espérance by winning at home and away and winning the Moroccan FAR Rabat in the final and is what enabled the club to play the African Super Cup against Al Ahly of Egypt but was defeated by penalties in Addis Ababa Stadium in Ethiopia. Benzarti managed to win the league title finally after finishing second in seven consecutive years despite the early exit in the Cup against CS Hammam-Lif on penalties in the quarter-finals.
  In May 2007, Moez Driss announced the sudden dismissal of Faouzi Benzarti from the team's training before the start of the CAF Champions League despite excellent results.
  The Frenchman Bertrand Marchand, who was the coach of Club Africain in that period was appointed. 
  He succeeded in the group stage of the African competition by surpassing JS Kabylie, the Al-Ittihad and the FAR Rabat before winning the semi-final of the Al-Hilal of Sudan to qualify for the final match for the third in only 4 years and was the final with Al-Ahly, who holds the record in the number of titles and also won ESS in the 2005 final and exceeded his compatriot CS Sfaxien in 2006 to indicate all expectations for the victory of Al-Ahly sixth title, especially after the end of the first leg in Sousse with a draw 0–0.
  On 9 November 2007, ES Sahel made a surprise by beating Al Ahly in Cairo 3–1 after Amine Chermiti's goal in the 90th minute in a surprise that no one expected especially in Cairo International Stadium and in front of 75,000 spectators and in front of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who gave the trophy to players of the team. The legend Abdelmajid Chetali was the only one expecting the win.
  The win enabled the team to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan for the first time in their history to meet one of the best clubs in the world, like AC Milan as the European champions of 2007 and Boca Juniors also after winning the Copa Libertadores.
  In the quarter-finals, the team met Pachuca of Mexico, one of the best clubs in North America, especially after winning the CONCACAF Champions League title. But the Tunisian team managed to beat it with the goal of the Ghanaian player Moussa Narry in the 85th minute to be the second African team after Al-Ahly to qualify for the semi-finals.
  The team found itself against Boca Juniors in the semi-finals. ESS made a remarkable performance in the match in front of the eyes of Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who came to encourage his Argentine team. Boca Juniors narrowly won 1–0 to prevent ES Sahel from meeting AC Milan in the final.
  In the third-place match, ESS tied the host and the Asian champions Urawa Red Diamonds 2–2 after the goal of Chermiti for his team before the end of the game with a quarter of an hour, but the penalty shootout led to the victory of the Japanese team. ESS ended the World Cup in fourth place in his first appearance, making his fans welcome at Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport.
  This was one of the best periods in the history of Tunisian football because the victory of ES Sahel in the Champions League was accompanied by the victory of its compatriot CS Sfaxien with 2007 CAF Confederation Cup which made the African Super Cup with 2 Tunisian teams. This one was won by Étoile du Sahel which continued its strong performances in Africa after the win 2–1 in the Stade 7 November in Radès with the goal of Chermiti And Radhouène Felhi. After these performances, ES Sahel found itmself as first in Tunisia and Africa in the IFFHS club ranking.
  Locally, ES Sahel was just around the corner to maintain the league title, especially as it was the best club in Tunisia in that period before the title went to the Club Africain in the last round narrowed by just two points. Marchand announced his departure after a period full of titles and a
caption: Aymen Mathlouthi one of the best goalkeepers in ESS who achieved almost all possible titles.
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