ES Sahel beats Sfaxien to win delayed Tunisia Cup final

ES Sahel players lift the Tunisia Cup trophy Tunis -  Azhar Jarboui? Tunisian football club Etoile Sportive du Sahel (ESS) beat Club ?Sportif Sfaxien (CSS) 1-0 on Sunday to win the delayed 2011-12 Tunisia Cup final. Aymen Trabelsi's 18th minute goal separated the sides in a lively encounter at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Tunis. The final, which was postponed in 2011 due to security concerns, was played behind closed doors.
It was the eighth Tunisia Cup triumph for ESS, and the first for 17 years after being runners-up in 2001, 2008 and 2011.
CSS, on the other hand, failed to complete a domestic double, after winning the 2012-13 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 title.
Sfaxien began the game the brighter of the two teams, with playmaker Ferjani Sassi spearheading a number of attacks.
Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and Maher ?Hannachi missed two good chances, with ES Sahel goalkeeper Aymen Methlouthi denying the former with an acrobatic save.
In the 18th minute, ES Sahel took the lead against the run of play, when Trabelsi picked up on a poor clearance from CSS goalkeeper Rami Jeridi, to fire home a left-footed shot.
In the second half, CSS controlled possession but failed to threaten the ES Sahel goal.
Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh handed the Tunisia Cup trophy to the ES Sahel team. He was joined by Sports Minister Tarak Dhiab, and Minister of Trade Abdelwahab Matar on the stage.
Earlier, the Tunisian Football Federation (TFF) defended its decision to prevent fans of both teams from attending the stadium, due to the tense political situation.
TFF official Taher Khentach said the decision had been taken after a meeting with the Tunisian League, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Interior.?
The 2013-14 Tunisian League season is expected to get underway on August 18.
Line-ups
Club Sportif Sfaxien - Rami ?Jeridi (goalkeeper), Mahmoud Ben Salah, Zied Derbali, Ferjani Sassi, Didier Ibrahim N'Dong, Ali ?Maaloul, Rebai Wassim Kamoun,Ghazi Challouf, Maher Hannachi, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, ?Idrissa Kouyaté.?
Étoile Sportive du Sahel - Aymen Methlouthi (goalkeeper), Rami Bedoui, Franck ?Kom, Mossaâb Sassi, Baghdad Bounedjah, Radhouène Felhi, Rami Bedoui, Issam Jbali, Mohamed ?Ali Nafkha, Alaya Brigui, Hamdi Nagguez, Dramé.?