Club Africain

Club Africain
Full nameClub Africain
NicknamesEl Ghalia (The Beloved)
Al-Afriqi (The African)
Short nameCA
Founded4 October 1920 (1920-10-04)[1]
GroundHammadi Agrebi Stadium
Capacity65,000[2]
ChairmanMohsen Trabelsi
ManagerMaher Kanzari
LeagueTunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1
2024–253rd

Club Africain (Arabic: النادي الإفريقي), commonly known as CA, is a Tunisian professional football club based in Tunis. Founded on 4 October 1920,[1] the club competes in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1, the top tier of Tunisian football. The club plays its home matches at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, which has a seating capacity of 65,000.[2]

In 1991, Club Africain became the first Tunisian club to win the African Cup of Champions Clubs (now the CAF Champions League).[3]

History

Foundation and early years (1920–1955)

Club Africain was founded on 4 October 1920 in the Bab jdid neighborhood of Tunis.[1] The club was established as a continuation of Stade Africain, a local sporting association active between 1915 and 1918. During the French protectorate era, the club's founders established an identity centered on national heritage, selecting red and white as the primary club colours and ensuring an all-Tunisian management board.

The club earned promotion to Tunisia's top division in 1937 and won its first national league titles in back-to-back seasons (1946–47 and 1947–48).[4]

Domestic success and African glory (1960–1990s)

Following Tunisian independence, the club entered a golden era during the 1960s under Italian manager Fabio Roccheggiani, winning domestic titles and setting defensive benchmarks in the league. In 1971, Club Africain became the first Tunisian side to claim an international trophy by winning the Maghreb Cup Winners Cup.[5]

The crowning achievement in the club's history occurred in 1991. Managed by Romanian coach Ilie Balaci, Club Africain captured the 1991 African Cup of Champions Clubs, defeating Villa SC of Uganda 7–3 on aggregate in the final.[6] The club completed a quadruple during the 1991–92 season by winning the domestic league, national cup, African Champions League, and the Afro-Asian Club Championship against Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia.[7]

Recent history (2000s–present)

In the 21st century, Club Africain added further domestic honours, including league titles in 2007–08 and 2014–15,[4] as well as back-to-back Tunisian Cup victories in 2017 and 2018.[8]

Stadium

For decades, Club Africain hosted matches at the historic Stade El Menzah in Tunis. Since 2001, primary home matches for domestic and continental competitions have been hosted at the 65,000-capacity Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès.[2] The club's training ground and youth academy complex, known as Parc A, is situated near the Lake of Tunis.

Supporters and rivalries

Tunis Derby

The club shares a historic cross-town rivalry with Espérance Sportive de Tunis. The match between the two teams is known as the Tunis derby, representing one of North Africa's most prominent football fixtures.

Classic Rivalries

Club Africain maintains long-standing domestic rivalries with Étoile Sportive du Sahel and CS Sfaxien, forming part of the traditional "Big Four" in Tunisian football.

Crest and colours

Since its founding in 1920, the club has played in red and white vertical stripes, representing the national colours of Tunisia.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Ref
1998–1999 Italy Diadora Tunisia Boga / South Korea Samsung [9]
1999–2001 United States Coca-Cola / South Korea Samsung
2002–2011 Italy Diadora United States Coca-Cola / United States Ford
2011–2013 Italy Legea Tunisia Boga
2013–2014 Tunisia In-house Qatar Ooredoo
2014–2020 England Umbro
2020–present Qatar Ooredoo / Qatar Qatar Airways

Honours

Type Competition Titles Winning Seasons
Domestic Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 13 1946–47, 1947–48, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96, 2007–08, 2014–15[4]
Tunisian Cup 13 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1991–92, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2016–17, 2017–18[8]
Tunisian Super Cup 3 1968, 1970, 1979
Continental African Cup of Champions Clubs 1 1991[6]
Regional Arab Cup Winners' Cup 1 1995
Arab Champions League 1 1997
North African Cup of Champions 2 2008, 2010
Maghreb Cup Winners Cup 1 1971[5]
Maghreb Champions Cup 3 1974, 1975, 1976
Intercontinental Afro-Asian Club Championship 1 1992[7]

Current squad

As of 4 September 2025

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  TUN Mouhib Chamakh
3 MF  TUN Ghaith Sghaier
4 DF  TUN Yassine Bouabid
7 FW  TUN Hamza Khadhraoui
8 MF  BFA Alain Kanté
9 FW  TUN Firas Chaouat
10 MF  TUN Mohamed Sadok Mahmoud
13 MF  TUN Charfeddine Ouni
15 DF  CMR Wills Tene Nkingne
16 GK  TUN Ghaith Yeferni
17 DF  TUN Ghaith Zaalouni
18 FW  COD Phillippe Kinzumbi
19 MF  TUN Bassem Srarfi
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 DF  TUN Hamza Ben Abda
21 FW  TUN Bilel Aït Malek
22 GK  TUN Malek Saada
24 DF  TUN Houssem Hassen Romdhane
27 FW  LBY Fahd Al-Mesmary
28 MF  GAM Saidou Khan
29 FW  TUN Oussema Bouguerra
30 DF  TUN Oussama Shili
32 MF  LBY Osama Elsharimi
33 DF  TUN Houssem Ben Ali
34 MF  TUN Aymen Harzi
35 DF  TUN Aziz Ghrissi
40 FW  TUN Sadok Kadida

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Team Stats - Club Africain". CAF Online. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi". StadiumDB.com. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "All you need to know about past winners of the CAF Champions League". CAF Online. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Schöggl, Hans. "Tunisia - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 Jönsson, Mikael. "Maghreb Cup Winners Cup". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 Bobrowsky, Josef. "African Club Competitions 1991". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 Fussball, Karel. "Afro-Asian Club Championship". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 Schöggl, Hans. "Tunisia - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Club Africain Kit History". Football Kit Archive. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
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