Espérance winger Mokwana hails team effort after Club World Cup lifeline

Esperance winger Elias Mokwana has hailed his side’s collective response following their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Los Angeles FC at the FIFA Club World Cup, a result that keeps the Tunisian giants in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages.

The South African forward was a lively presence throughout the Group D clash at GEODIS Park in Nashville and was quick to emphasise the importance of togetherness in bouncing back from their opening loss to Flamengo.

“We played as a team today, and we fixed the problems that we had for the last game,” Mokwana said after the match.

“We are grateful for the three points.”

Esperance struggled for rhythm in their first match against the Brazilian champions, falling 2-0.

But against LAFC, they showed greater organisation, discipline, and attacking purpose. 

Their persistence paid off in the 70th minute when Youcef Belaili pounced on a loose ball in the box and rifled a low shot past Hugo Lloris to seal the win.

The result eliminated LAFC from the competition while moving Esperance level on points with Chelsea, setting up a decisive final group game in Philadelphia.

Mokwana’s contributions were key in stretching LAFC’s defence and helping Esperance gain the upper hand in wide areas—a crucial improvement from the previous match.

“We knew we had to come together, fight for each other and for our fans,” he added.

“Today we showed the kind of spirit it takes to win on this stage.”

Esperance now face Chelsea on Tuesday in a must-win encounter.

A victory would see them advance to the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in the club’s history.