CAF Champions League
Ahly crowned champions of Africa for record-extending 12th title
The Egyptians have again scored a remarkable double, winning both the CAF Confederation Cup and the CAF Champions League.
Serial champions, Al Ahly have once again reigned supreme as kings of African club football, following their CAF Champions League final 1-0 win over Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis at a packed to the rafters Cairo International Stadium on Saturday evening.
Their victory follows that of their rival Cairo club, Zamalek who the week before won the CAF Confederation Cup. Thus, the Super Cup will be an all-Cairo and Egypt tussle.
Saturday’s win was the Al Ahly’s 12th CAF Champions League title and the fourth time they are lifting the continent’s most prestigious title in succession – a feat that rubber stamps their authority as African football club kings.
The win on Saturday also marks 20 CAF Champions League matches without a loss for the champions. They also finish the campaign with the best defensive record, with just a single goal conceded in this season.
Following a goalless stalemate in Rades last week, the Egyptians with the backing of a highly vocal Cairo International Stadium went into the clash with a slight advantage over the four-time African champions who have been in desperate search for an elusive fifth title since 2019.
Ahly’s only goal of the match came courtesy of an unfortunate own goal by Roger Aholou after a header by Ramy Moustafa came off the inside of defender’s leg to beat young goalkeeper, Amenallah Memmiche in the 4th minute.
Played at an electrifying pace under the Cairo stars, both sides had an equal go at each other throughout the encounter, with attack after attack being thwarted by equally solid defending.
A glaring chance for Esperance came in the 52nd minute when TKA’s low drive almost caught Mostafa Shobeir off guard, who was fortunate to see the strike go inches wide.
The Tunisians, with momentum on their side almost levelled matters just after the hour mark after the Brazilian duo of Yan Sasse and Rodrigo Silva concluded with Sasse striking a beautiful curler that went just wide off target.
Ahly almost doubled their lead when Emam Ashour dribbled past two defenders to unleash a potent strike that was fisted away by the keeper.
Coming on to bring in his experience, the ever-green Afsha almost made it two in the 87th minute with a well taken free kick that came off the bar in what could have been a wonder strike by the marksman.
It eventually ended 1-0 in favour of the club of the century who were crowned champions of Africa once again in front of their home fans in Cairo.
The CAF Champions League second leg Final between Al Ahly and Espérance Sportive de Tunis in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday 25 May 2024 was sold out in two hours paving a way for what is expected to be a thrilling finale between two of Africa’s biggest Clubs.
The match will kick off at 20h00 in Cairo (17h00 GMT).
The huge demand for the match underscores the ever growing interest in African Club Football and has necessitated CAF together with the Host Club, Al Ahly to strengthen Safety and Security plans in and around the Cairo International Stadium.
Over 90 countries will watch the Final in different parts of the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, Europe, America and South Pacific.
Football supporters from all over the world will be able to watch the final in their language and on several CAF platforms.
Leading the global broadcasters are CAF’s traditional partners: beIN Sport (MENA, Europe, America, South Pacific), Canal+ and New World TV.
In Africa, a number of free-to-air broadcasters will show the Final including SABC, Azam Media, AfroSport and many others.
Al Ahly are unbeaten in their last 19 CAF Champions League matches (W12 D7), keeping 16 clean sheets and conceding just three goals.
Espérance Sportive de Tunis are unbeaten in their last five CAF Champions League knockout round matches without conceding (W2 D3); they last kept six consecutive clean sheets in such matches in October 2012.
Espérance Sportive de Tunis will be looking to win the competition for the first time since 2019, when they beat Wydad AC to secure a second consecutive title.
Al Ahly will be looking to make it 11 successes for Egyptian sides in the CAF Champions League final (more than twice as many as other nation), while Espérance Sportive de Tunis can secure Tunisia their fifth success in the competition, which will be the outright second-most.
For the final, fans can start engaging and being a part of the ongoing conversation using #TotalEnergiesCAFCL.
Confederation of African Football, CAF, has adopted a Nigerian language name of its official match ball for the interclubs competitions. Ahead of this weekend’s blockbuster line-up that sees Africa’s top clubs battle for CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Champions League top honours, the confederation and its matchball producers, PUMA have unveiled a new match ball called “OLA.”
In a press statement, CAF explains that “OLA,” means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba, and “rise” and “success” in Arabic. It explained that the name was chosen to symbolize the dynamic and energetic nature of African football.
Embodying the spirit of Africa, Ola’s design is inspired by the continent’s vibrant colours, art, and traditions.
OLA will be used this weekend – starting in Tunis when Espérance Sportive de Tunis hosts Al Ahly of Egypt in the first leg of the CAF Champions League Final and on Sunday when Zamalek hosts RS Berkane in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final at the Cairo International Stadium.
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.
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