CAF Champions League
Al-Ahly Through To CAF Champions League Quarter-finals After Away Win Over Medeama –
Egyptian giants Al-Ahly booked their place in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals for an eighth consecutive season after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ghanaian side Medeama in the fifth round of group stage on Friday.
A second-half goal from winger Hussein El-Shahat was enough to seal the three points for the Cairo club at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, moving them onto nine points at the top of Group A with one game remaining.
The match witnessed several standout moments, with Mostafa Shobeir showcasing his goalkeeping prowess early on, denying Medeama’s attempts to find the back of the net.
However, it was El-Shahat who stole the spotlight in the 48th minute, calmly slotting home a well-executed finish to secure victory for Al-Ahly.
With this crucial victory, the Cairo giants stay at the top of group, securing their passage to the next round with a comfortable four-point lead over Belouizdad and Young Africans, who are set to face off later this weekend.
On the other hand, Medeama languish at the bottom of the table with four points.
Al-Ahly’s focus turns to their upcoming clash against Young Africans, where they aim to cement their position at the top of the group. A draw would suffice for the Egyptian side to ensure they clinch the top spot in the standings.
It was far from plain sailing for the record eight-time African champions however, with the hosts proving stubborn opposition for much of the match.
Al-Ahly dominated the early exchanges and El-Shahat went close in the 13th minute, curling a shot narrowly over the crossbar.
Medeama then had their best chance of the half on 16 minutes, only for Mostafa Shobeir to produce a fine save to deny the Ghanaian striker Lomotey.
The game remained goalless at the break, but Al-Ahly’s pressure finally told three minutes after half-time when El-Shahat latched onto a through ball from Anthony Modeste before slotting calmly beyond Medeama keeper Frank Boateng.
That proved the only goal of a tight contest, as Al-Ahly’s defence stood firm in the face of late pressure from the hosts. Wissam Abu Ali nearly added a second late on but saw his shot well saved by Boateng.
The result means the Cairo side extend their remarkable unbeaten run in the CAF Champions League to 15 matches, a sequence stretching back to their 5-2 defeat at the hands of Sundowns.
Medeama’s defeat means they will struggle to reach the knock-stage of the competition.
El-Shahat’s goal not only propelled Al-Ahly to victory but also marked a personal milestone for the winger, tallying his 16th goal for the club in the CAF Champions League.
With his stellar performance with four goals in the competition this season, El-Shahat solidified his status as a key figure in Al-Ahly’s quest for continental glory.
Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt will take on perennial rivals Esperance of Tunisia in this year’s African Champions League final after winning their semi-finals on Friday.
Al Ahly, who have won five of the last seven editions and a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Cairo and Esperance pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria.
Al Ahly won 3-0 after a goalless draw in the first leg in Lubumbashi for a comfortable aggregate triumph while Esperance’s 20-year-old defender Raed Bouchniba hammered home a clinical shot in the 57th minute to earn the Tunisians a 1-0 away win and 2-0 aggregate victory.
The match was delayed by 70 minutes after a lightning strike in South Africa’s capital knocked out some of the floodlights amid a heavy thunderstorm.
Sundowns won the new African Football League this season and were one of the favourites for the Champions League but fell short of the final for an eighth season in a row.
Esperance’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich produced fine saves as the South African forwards fluffed their lines and the win also ensured a place for Esperance in next year’s Club World Cup in the U.S.
Al Ahly took until the 68th minute to break the deadlock against Mazembe when defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim scored.
Wessam Abou Ali added a second in the 83rd minute, stretching out his leg to apply a clever finish and Akram Tawfiq confirmed their superiority with a stoppage-time third.
Esperance host the first leg of the final on May 18 with the return in Cairo seven days later.
Esperance won the last of their four Champions League titles in 2019 and have been runners-up four times.
From the original 54 teams from 42 countries that began the race last year, the CAF Champions League has now narrowed to four teams as a whopping 50 have been eliminated.
The four elite clubs in the semi-finals are Al Ahly of Egypt, Esperance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe of DR Congo.
Title holders and record champions Al Ahly are still on track to defend their title as they beat Simba SC in Cairo to secure their place while four-time winners Esperance Sportive de Tunis were made to labour hard against Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire.
The reigning African Football League (“AFL”) Champions and 2025/16 winners Mamelodi Sundowns were pushed to the end by Tanzania’s Young Africans in South Africa.
Five-time winners TP Mazembe of DR Congo pulled one of the best performances this weekend with a 2-1 away win over Atletico Petroleos of Luanda after the first leg ended goalless.
The semis will be played on home and away basis on 19-20 April 2024 (first leg) with the Second Leg scheduled for 26-27 April 2024.
In the first semi-final, Al Ahly (Egypt) will play TP Mazembe (DR Congo) in what promises to be a thrilling encounter. Esperance Sportive de Tunis will play Mamelodi Sundowns in the second semi-final.
CAF will announce the dates and kick-off dates in due course.
Egyptian giants Ahly took a significant stride towards securing a spot in the CAF Champions League semifinals following their hard-fought 1-0 win against Tanzania’s Simba on Friday, thanks to an early goal by midfielder Ahmed “Koka” Nabil.
Right from the start, the hosts launched relentless attacks, aiming to find an early breakthrough. However, Ahly’s resolute and well-organized defense thwarted all of their attempts.
Simba’s first notable chance came when midfielder Sadio Kanouté headed a cross from Clatous Chama following a corner, but his effort sailed over the bar from close range.
Just four minutes into the game, Ahly defender Mohamed Hany found himself in possession on the right side of Simba’s field. He cut inside and delivered a cross that was mishandled by the defense, leading to a powerful shot from Koka. The ball ricocheted off the head of the Simba goalkeeper, struck the post, and ultimately found the back of the net.
Despite Simba’s control of the match, as they pushed forward in search of an equalizer, Ahly’s solid defense and the heroics of goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier denied them any scoring opportunities. Ahly relied on swift counterattacks but their attempts to extend their lead fell short.
Shobier produced a magnificent save in the 39th minute, blocking Che Malone’s right-footed shot from the center of the box. He came to the rescue again just before halftime, denying Sadio Kanouté’s right-footed shot from the right side of the box and turning it into a corner.
In injury time, Shobier made another brilliant save, stopping Saïdi Ntibazonkiza’s close-range effort, which rebounded to Shomari Kapombe, who shot the ball high over the bar.
In the second half, Simba continued to dominate proceedings but failed to find the equalizing goal despite their persistent efforts.
Ahly coach Marcel Koller made a tactical double substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Reda Slim for Hussein El-Shahat and Taher Mohamed Taher in place of Percy Tau.
The move injected new energy into Ahly’s attack, with the Moroccan talisman creating two opportunities for the Red Devils.
Koller later made another double substitution, bringing on Kahraba for Modeste and Afsha for Attia.
In injury time, Kahraba had a chance to extend Ahly’s lead when he received a long ball from Afsha, but he struggled to control it. A minute later, Kahraba received a cross from Slim and entered the box, but once again his finishing touch eluded him.
With this narrow victory, Ahly now hold the advantage and move closer to securing a spot in the semifinals, with the second leg taking place in Cairo on Friday.
-Ahram
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