The rivalry has a geographical origin, the two clubs evolving in the same city: Gabes. However, it has been exacerbated by the race in Ligue I that the two clubs are engaged in. Many people advocated the merger of the two clubs but it did not happen. The Tunisian press thinks that the creation of a large Gabonese club would create a new football pole in Tunisia, in order to oppose the supremacy of Tunisian clubs.
