JS Kairouan

Foundation and early years

The origins of organised football in Kairouan predate the foundation of JS Kairouan. The first known sports association in the city was the Stade Kairouanais, founded in 1920 on the initiative of René Solal. The club competed in the Central District and included both Tunisian and French players.

Following the dissolution of Stade Kairouanais in 1941, local sportsmen established the Jeunesse Sportive Kairouanaise the following year. The club was formally founded on 10 October 1942.

The first recorded executive committee was elected at the general assembly of 20 February 1943. Chedly Belhaj became the club's first president, with Zribi Tassi as vice-president and Salah Ben Jannet as general secretary.

During its early decades, JSK competed outside the national elite and made several unsuccessful attempts to reach the top division.

Rise to the national elite

JS Kairouan finally reached the national first division in 1972. The team subsequently established itself among the leading sides outside the traditional Tunisian football centres.

The club's breakthrough came during the 1976–77 season. Managed by Hamda Laouani and coached by Yugoslav Dragan Vasiljevic, JSK won the Tunisian championship for the first time in its history.

The championship-winning side was built around captain and midfield leader Khemaïs Laabidi and striker Moncef Ouada. Ouada finished the season as the league's leading scorer (18 goals). The title remains JS Kairouan's only Tunisian championship to date.

The championship established JSK as one of the most prominent football clubs from Tunisia's interior regions.

The 1990s

JSK remained a regular presence in the top division during the following decades. The club came particularly close to adding another major domestic honour during the 1990s.

In the 1992–93 season, JSK finished second in the Tunisian championship, its highest league finish since winning the title in 1977.

The club also reached the 1996 Tunisian Cup final, where it was defeated, making the 1996 final the closest JSK came to winning the national cup.

The 1990–91 season also produced one of the club's notable individual achievements, with Fethi Chehaibi finishing as the league's leading scorer. Chehaibi, known by the nickname "Bargou", subsequently became one of JSK's leading goalscorers in Ligue 1.

Relegation and returns to Ligue 1

After a long period in the top division, JSK were relegated to the second tier following 27 seasons in Ligue 1. The club returned to the top flight for the 2005–06 season, but subsequently suffered another relegation.

JSK returned to Ligue 1 again after finishing second in Ligue 2 in the 2008–09 season. The club subsequently spent further periods in the top flight before another decline and eventual relegation.

The following years were characterised by frequent changes in coaching staff and fluctuating performances. The club continued to produce and develop local players while attempting to compete with the increasingly financialised structure of Tunisian football.

Decline during the late 2010s and early 2020s

During the late 2010s and early 2020s, JSK experienced one of the most difficult periods in its modern history.

The club's decline coincided with reduced financial resources and difficulties maintaining the infrastructure and sporting structures required for sustained top-level competition. The closure or weakening of youth-development structures further affected the club's ability to rely on a continuous generation of locally developed players.

The 2020–21 Ligue 1 campaign became one of the lowest points in the club's history. JSK collected only three points from 26 league matches and suffered relegation.

The club subsequently spent several seasons in Ligue 2 while rebuilding its sporting structure.

The club returned to Ligue 1 for the 2025–26 season after winning Group B of the 2024–25 Ligue 2 season, but was relegated after finishing 14th in its return campaign.