CAF Champions League
Late drama as Al Ahly lift CAF Super Cup for eighth time in history
CAF Champions League champions, Al Ahly, have beaten Raja Casablanca on penalties to win their second consecutive CAF Super Cup under Pitso Mosimane.
The 2022 CAF Super Cup took place between Champions League winners Al Ahly and Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca, who were crowned as Confederation Cup champions, in Doha, Qatar.
Entering the game as favourites, Mosimane’s men were dealt a heavy blow just before the start of the game after their key midfielder Amr El-Sulya picked up an injury and had to be replaced with Yasser Ibrahim.
This changed Al Ahly’s starting XI to be as follows:
Mohamed El-Shennawy; Badr Benoun, Ayman Ashraf, Hamdy Fathi Ali Maaloul; Amr El-Sulya, Aliou Dieng, Akram Tawfik; Mohamed Magdy Afsha, Hussein El-Shahat, Percy Tau.
Raja’s XI: Anas Zniti; Abdelilah Madkour, Marouane Hadhoudi, Jamal Harkass, Abdeljalil Jbira; Fabrice Ngoma, Zakaria El Wardi, Mohsen Metwally, Abdelilah Hafidi, Mahmoud Benhalib; Hamid Ahadad.
The Red Devils entered the game on the strong foot, dominating the first 10 minutes of the game; however, it was the Moroccans who managed to break the deadlock through Zamalek loanee Hamid Ahdaad.
In the 13th minute, right back Abdelilah Madkour led Raja Casablanca’s counter-attack, before his cross inside the penalty area couldn’t be cleared by Yasser Ibrahim for Ahaddad to tap it in to give Raja an early lead.
Al Ahly tried to respond quickly, and just three minutes later Maaloul sent a cross inside the penalty area, which was cleared away by the keeper before the rebound was met by El-Shahat, but the keeper was there once again to deny the Reds a quick equaliser.
Apart from these two chances, neither side created any more clear-cut chances in the remaining minutes of the first half as Raja parked the bus and watched the Reds passing the ball around.
It was after the half-time when Al Ahly became more aggressive towards the goal, especially after Mosimane brought on striker Mohamed Sherif for defender Ayman Ashraf.
The Reds, therefore, imposed their pressure and style of play to try and snatch a quick equalizer after the break and this became even more clear when El-Shahat was brought off for Ahmed Abdelkader.
Sherif and Abdelkader changed the pace of the game and this resulted in Al Ahly’s first real chance of the game when Mohamed Magdy Afsha found the ball on the edge of the box, but his long-range effort was caught by Zniti.
Al Ahly then had a penalty shout after Percy Tau’s cross clearly hit Marouane Hadhoudi’s hand, but the referee refused to go consult the VAR.
In the 77th minute, Mosimane made his last substitution when he brought on Taher Mohamed Taher for Yasser Ibrahim, before Percy Tau going through on goal after a ball from Mohamed Sherif, but the South African’s effort went wide.
And as Raja thought they clinched the title, the Red Devils’ pressure proved to be fruitful as they finally managed to score the equalizer in the 90th minute through Taher Mohamed.
Mohamed Sherif found Afsha inside the penalty box but the latter’s shot was parried away by the keeper, but Tau was there for the follow-up, but instead of shooting, he took a more unselfish route and passed it to the open Taher Mohamed Taher, who made it 1-1.
Al Ahly tried to find the winner in the remaining few minutes, but there wasn’t enough time as the game was sent to penalty shootouts.
Al Ahly scored their five initial attempts through Ali Maaloul, Badr Benoun, Percy Tau, Mohamed Abdelkader, and Taher Mohamed, and the same happened for Raja, who scored through Mohamed Zrida, Zakaria El-Wardi, Marouane Hadhoudi, Mahmoud Benhalib, and Mohsen Metwally.
This meant that the cup will be decided with sudden death, in which Akram Tawfik stepped up to take the sixth penalty and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give his side an advantage.
Raja’s left-back Abdelilah Madkour was the one to take Raja’s final penalty but his shot went way wide and was unable to hit the target, handing Al Ahly their eighth Super Cup.
Not only Al Ahly have lifted the Super Cup for a record eighth time, but they have reached their 25th international trophy, sitting just one behind European giants Real Madrid.
Moreover, Pitso Mosimane has become the first Al Ahly manager to win the CAF Champions League and the CAF Super Cup for two successive times since Manuel Jose in 2007.
-kingfut
CAF Champions League
Heartbreak for Al Ahly as Sundowns edge to CAF Champions League final on away goals rule
Mamelodi Sundowns clinched a dramatic spot in the final of the CAF Champions League after holding Al Ahly to a 1-1 draw in Cairo on Friday night, progressing on the away goals rule.
After a tense 0-0 stalemate in the first leg in Pretoria, it was Al Ahly who drew first blood in the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium.
Taher Mohamed fired the hosts into the lead midway through the first half, smashing home from outside the box after being teed up by the lively Emam Ashour.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Al Ahly dominated much of the first period and looked on course to finally break their winless streak against the South Africans.
But Mamelodi Sundowns showed their resilience and turned the tie on its head in the closing stages.
With ten minutes remaining, a low cross caused panic in the Ahly defence, resulting in Yasser Ibrahim inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Peter Shalulile.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the Egyptian giants and a lifeline for Sundowns, who knew a 1-1 draw would be enough to see them through.
Al Ahly threw everything forward in search of a late winner, with substitutes Achraf Bencharki and Wessam Abou Ali both going close in a frantic finale.
But Sundowns, marshalled superbly by their backline and aided by a bit of fortune, held firm to seal a famous qualification.
It marks a significant milestone for Pretoria-based side, who have now gone nine consecutive matches unbeaten against the record African champions.
Sundowns’ reward is a place in the final, where they will face either Pyramids FC or Orlando Pirates — with the second semi-final set to be decided later.
For Al Ahly, it was a night of bitter disappointment despite their brave efforts, as their dream of a record-extending CAF Champions League title came to a crashing halt at home.
-CAF
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
CAF Champions League
Late Mayele heroics send Pyramids into historic first final after five-goal thriller
The Egyptian side Pyramids sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over Orlando Pirates in Cairo on Friday night to book their place in the final of the CAF Champions League for the first time in their history.
After a goalless first leg in Johannesburg, both sides came out determined at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium, and it was Pirates who struck first when Relebohile Mofokeng slotted home from close range midway through the first half.
The lead, however, was short-lived. Pyramids levelled just before half-time, with Fiston Mayele pouncing on a cross from Mostafa Fathi to restore parity.
The end-to-end nature of the contest continued after the break, and Pirates regained the advantage when Mohau Nkota fired in a superb low drive on 52 minutes.
Yet the Egyptian side showed their resolve in front of their home fans. Ramadan Sobhi rose highest to meet a Mohamed Chibi cross, heading past Sipho Chaine to make it 2-2 just moments later.
The decisive moment came with just six minutes remaining.
After a goalmouth scramble from a corner, Mayele reacted quickest, hammering the ball into the roof of the net to spark wild celebrations among the home faithful.
Despite late pressure from the South African visitors, including efforts from Tshegofatso Mabasa and Relebohile Mofokeng, Pyramids held on to secure a famous win and extend their remarkable unbeaten home record to 23 matches.
The result means Pyramids will face Mamelodi Sundowns, who earlier eliminated Al Ahly on away goals, in what promises to be a mouth-watering final.
For Orlando Pirates, it was a brave effort but one that ultimately fell short, ending their hopes of a second CAF Champions League title.
-CAF
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns are set for a blockbuster clash on Friday night at Cairo International Stadium as they battle for a place in the final of the CAF Champions League.
With the first leg in Pretoria ending goalless, everything is still to play for in this highly anticipated second-leg encounter.
Despite Al Ahly’s rich history and dominance in African club football, Sundowns have held the upper hand in recent meetings.
The South African giants are unbeaten in their last eight matches against the Cairo club, scoring 11 goals and conceding just five in that run.
Al Ahly have not defeated Sundowns since May 2021 and will be looking to overturn that trend on home soil.
The hosts have been rock solid at the back in this season’s Champions League, keeping three consecutive clean sheets.
Their defensive resilience will be key once again, especially against a Sundowns side that has failed to score in its last 216 minutes of continental action.
Peter Shalulile, with three goals to his name in the tournament, remains the Brazilians’ biggest threat up front.
Midfielder Emam Ashour has been pivotal to Al Ahly’s campaign, scoring five times — joint-highest in the competition — and will be expected to spark the attack once more.
Home advantage could prove crucial for the Egyptians.
They are unbeaten in their last six home games across all competitions and boast three wins from four home matches in this CAF Champions League campaign.
Sundowns, meanwhile, have struggled on the road, managing just one win in four away matches this season.
With a place in the final at stake, both sides will be pushing to make their mark in what promises to be a high-stakes, high-intensity clash under the Cairo lights.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Morocco 2025: Nigeria qualify for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup
NFF ‘shocked and saddened’ by the demise of former NRA President, Otunba Tade Azeez
Heartbreak for Al Ahly as Sundowns edge to CAF Champions League final on away goals rule
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL7 days ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON7 days ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- feature4 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu