Nigerian forward Emmanuel Ogbole marked a major milestone in his career over the weekend, scoring his first professional hat-trick to inspire CS Sfaxien to a dominant 3-0 victory over JS Kairouan in the Tunisian Ligue I.
The win, achieved at the Stade Taieb Mhiri, highlighted Ogbole’s influence in the team and strengthened CS Sfaxien’s push for a continental spot.
Ogbole’s Early Goals Set the Tone
Ogbole wasted no time making an impact. Just four minutes into the game, he rose highest to head home from a corner kick, giving the hosts an early advantage. His pace and positioning were key as CS Sfaxien quickly settled into a commanding rhythm.
Shortly after the half-hour mark, the former CHAN Eagles striker doubled his tally and his team’s lead. Taking advantage of a swift counterattack, he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to make it 2-0 heading into halftime, putting JS Kairouan firmly on the back foot.
Completing the Hat-Trick in Style
Fourteen minutes into the second half, Ogbole completed his hat-trick, heading home from a well-delivered free kick. With this, he became the first foreign player to score a hat-trick in the Tunisian Ligue I this season, underlining his importance to CS Sfaxien.
After the game, Ogbole shared his delight with the club’s media:
“Scoring a hat-trick in a big club like CSS is the happiest day of my life. I always dream of scoring hat-trick in a big club like this. So I’m grateful. I’m not a player that is on individual performance; the most important thing is for the club to get points. Every game, we want to win, so if the goals come, we score. We try to win for the club.”
Driving CS Sfaxien’s Continental Ambitions
Ogbole’s hat-trick brought his league tally to five goals this season, matching fellow Nigerian Stanley Ogoh. His performance also extended CS Sfaxien’s unbeaten run to five matches, consisting of one draw and four consecutive wins.
The team now sits third in the league with 48 points, just six behind leaders Esperance, keeping their hopes for continental competition alive with two games remaining.
CS Sfaxien will next face AS Soliman on Saturday, April 11, aiming to maintain momentum and finish the season strongly.