Club Sportif Sfaxien (Arabic: النادي الرياضي الصفاقسي), known as CS Sfaxien or simply CSS for short, is a Tunisian football club based in Sfax. The club was founded in 1928 and its colours are black and white (Bianconero). Their home stadium, Taieb Mhiri Stadium, has a capacity of 12,000 spectators. The club is currently playing in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1.

Club Sfaxien
Full nameClub Sportif Sfaxien
Nickname(s)Juventus El Arab (The Arabian Juventus) "Bianconero" / "El Ka7la Wel Bidha".
Short nameCSS
Founded28 May 1928; 96 years ago (1928-05-28) (as Club Tunisien)
GroundTaieb Mhiri Stadium
Sfax, Tunisia
Capacity12,000
ChairmanAbdelaziz Makhloufi
CoachAlexander Santos
LeagueTunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1
2023–24Ligue 1, 3rd of 14
Websitewww.css.org.tn
colours
colours
CS Sfaxien's active sections

Football

Basketball
(Women)

Volleyball
(Women)

Rugby

Weightlifting

Boxing

Judo

History

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The club was founded in 1928 as Club Tunisien, playing in green and red stripes. The team was promoted to the Tunisian First Division in 1947. In 1950, the first supporters group was founded by Béchir Fendri, and in 1962 the club was renamed "Club Sportif Sfaxien" and team colours were changed to the current black and white stripes.

CSS celebrated their half-centenary in 1978 by winning the Tunisian League title. In November 1998, CSS captured the CAF Cup for the first time, beating Senegal's ASC Jeanne d'Arc in the final.

In more recent times, CSS reached the final of the CAF Champions League 2006 but were beaten with a late second leg goal condemning them to a 2–1 aggregate defeat against Al Ahly of Egypt.

In September 2014, CSS reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League 2014 but they were beaten with a 2–1 score in both away and home matches against AS Vita Club.

In May 2015, CSS got disqualified from The CAF Champions League 2015 after a loss with 1–0 in their away match against Mouloudia Chabab El Eulma(Algeria) and then CSS won their match in Sfax with 1–0 at the Stade Taïeb Mhiri but they got disqualified since they lost by penalties (7–6).

CSS won the 2007 CAF Confederation Cup. A 4–2 first-leg victory in Sudan against Al Merreikh preceded a 1–0 second leg win, with CSS lifting the trophy in front of their own fans at the Stade Taïeb Mhiri. In November 2008, CSS faced local rivals Etoile du Sahel (ESS) in the final of the CAF Confederation Cup. CSS became the most successful club in recent history of the tournament when a 0–0 draw in Sfax was followed by a 2–2 draw in Sousse, sending the cup back to Sfax for the second year in a row.

2009 saw the club win the Tunisian Cup.[1]

In 2013, CSS won CAF Confederation Cup for the 3rd time in their history facing TP Mazembe in the final with 2–0 in Rades then a 2–1 defeat in Lubumbashi with a late goal from Fakhreddine Ben Youssef.

Club Sfaxien participated in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.[2]

In the 2018–19 the club won the Tunisian Cup again.[3] The club won the Tunisian FA Cup for a sixth time on 28 June 2021.[4]

SOCIOS-CSS

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The SOCIOS-CSS network is an internal body attached to the executive committee of the Club Sportif Sfaxien, to which it is fully dependent and responsible for carrying out the missions indicated in this Internal Regulation. Launched on 28 May 2008, it became a permanent structure of Club Sportif Sfaxien following the revision of the club's status during the extraordinary general assembly of 19 May 2011.

Since its inception in 2008, the SOCIOS-CSS network has been investing in projects of all sizes on behalf of Club Sportif Sfaxien. The SOCIOS-CSS network is represented abroad by SOCIOS CSS INTERNATIONAL, a French association under the 1901 law, number W751189505, based in France. The funds collected by this association are the property of Club Sportif Sfaxien and will be managed within the framework of the SOCIOS-CSS network concept. The SOCIOS CSS INTERNATIONAL association is required to prepare a semi-annual report on its activities and finances. This report is transmitted to the SOCIOS-CSS Bureau to ensure follow-up. Members of SOCIOS CSS INTERNATIONAL are full-fledged members of the SOCIOS-CSS network and enjoy all the benefits of SOCIOS-CSS members.

Partnership

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In addition to the celebration of the 87th anniversary of Club Sportif Sfaxien, SOCIOS-CSS signed a membership protocol with Sandlanders Football, whereby SOCIOS-CSS joins an international network of clubs working for the development of sports clubs and sustainable infrastructure. The signing took place on Saturday 30 May 2015.

Players

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Current squad

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As of September 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   TUN Mohamed Hedi Gaaloul (captain)
3 DF   TUN Mohamed Nasraoui
4 DF   TUN Salah Harabi
6 MF   GUI Balla Moussa Conté
7 FW   TUN Amine Haboubi
9 FW   TUN Hazem Haj Hassen
10 FW   TUN Wadhah Zaidi
11 MF   TUN Achref Habbessi
13 DF   TUN Rayen Derbali
14 MF   POR Pedro Sá
16 GK   TUN Sabri Ben Hessen
17 DF   TUN Mohamed Salah Mhadhbi
18 MF   TUN Cristo (on loan from Al Ahly SC)
20 FW   TUN Youssef Becha
21 DF   TUN Hichem Baccar
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 FW   ALB Rubin Hebaj
23 DF   TUN Gianni D'Angelo
25 MF   TUN Firas Sekkouhi
26 DF   TUN Chaouki Ben Khader
27 FW   TUN Baraket Hmidi
28 MF   FRA Gaoussou Traoré
29 FW   TUN Omar Ben Ali
30 GK   TUN Aymen Dahmen (vice-captain)
32 DF   TUN Haythem Ayouni (3rd-captain)
33 DF   CIV Koffi Kouamé
34 FW   CIV Fabien Winley
38 MF   TUN Mohamed Absi
-- DF   TUN Saber Soudani
-- MF   TUN Khalil Elloumi
-- MF   GUI Fodé Camara

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   TUN Ayoub Labidi (at Sfax RS until 30 June 2025)
DF   TUN Ahmed Ajjal (at AS Gabès until 30 June 2025)
MF   TUN Aziz Sekrafi (at US Tataouine until 30 June 2025)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   TUN Jesser Maaroufi (at US Tataouine until 30 June 2025)
FW   TUN Ameur Jouini (at AS Gabès until 30 June 2025)
FW   TUN Iyed Belwafi (at US Ben Guerdane until 30 June 2025)
MF   TUN Mohamed Trabelsi (at US Ben Guerdane until 30 June 2025)

Retired numbers

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
8 MF   TUN Mohamed Ben Rehaiem

Honours

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Source: Soccerway[5]
Type Competition Titles Winning Seasons
Domestic Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 8 1968–69, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1994–95, 2004–05, 2012–13
Tunisian Cup 7 1970–71, 1994–95, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
Tunisian League Cup 1 2002–03
Continental CAF Confederation Cup 3 2007, 2008, 2013
CAF Cup 1 1998
Regional Arab Club Champions Cup 2 2000, 2004
North African Cup Winners Cup 1 2009
  •   record

Performance in CAF competitions

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Managers

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Presidents

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  • 1912–31:  Zouhair Ayadi
  • 1931–32:  Ali Cherif
  • 1932–34:  Messaoud Ben Saad
  • 1934–36:  Ahmed Bouslama
  • 1936–38:  Abderrahmane Aloulou
  • 1938–46:  Mohamed Elloumi
  • 1946–48:  Habib Meziou
  • 1948–50:  Abdelkader Jemal
  • 1950–51:  Abdelaziz Hammami
  • 1951–53:  Tahar Elleuch
  • 1953–54:  Tahar Gargouri
  • 1954–55:  Mohamed Halouani
  • 1955–56:  Ahmed Akrout
  • 1956–61:  Habib Larguech
  • 1961–64:  Abdesselem Kallel
  • 1964–65:  Mohamed Driss
  • 1965–66:  Taoufik Zahaf
  • 1966–67:  Hédi Bouricha
  • 1967–70:  Taoufik Zahaf
  • 1970–72:  Ahmed Fourati
  • 1972–75:  Taoufik Zahaf
  • 1975–76:  Mohamed Mezghanni
  • 1976–78:  Taoufik Zahaf
  • 1978–79:  Ismaïl Baklouti
  • 1979–80:  Hédi Bouricha
  • 1980–88:  Abdelaziz Ben Abdallah
  • 1988–89:  Mohamed Aloulou
  • 1989–90:  Taoufik Zahaf
  • 1990–92:  Ismaïl Baklouti
  • 1992–96:  Abdelaziz Ben Abdallah
  • 1996–98:  Jamel Arem
  • 1998–02:  Lotfi Abdennadher
  • 2002–08:  Salaheddine Zahaf
  • 2008–10:  Moncef Sellami
  • 2010–11:  Naoufel Zahaf
  • 2011–12:  Moncef Sellami
  • 2012–16:  Lotfi Abdennadher
  • 2016–22:  Moncef Khemakhem
  • 2024–present:  Abdelaziz Makhloufi

Provisional presidents

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  • 2022–2023:  Mohamed Trabelsi
  • 2023–2024:  Jaouhar Laadhar

Fitness coaches

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  • 2023:  Anis Chaâlani[6]

Rival clubs

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "CS Sfaxien win Tunisian Cup". BBC Sport. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Espérance to represent Tunisia in the 2017 CAF Champions League". E-S-Tunis.com. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  3. ^ "CS Sfaxien wins fifth Tunisian FA Cup title". Confédération Africaine de Football. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ^ Mboh, Brian (28 June 2021). "CS Sfaxien clinch Sixth Tunisia cup crown". kick442.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. ^ "CS SFAXIEN – Trophies". soccerway.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Anis Chaâlani - Stats and titles won - 23/24". Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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