Al Ahly Successfully Defends CAF Champions League Title
Egyptian giants Al Ahly beat 10-man Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 to successfully defend its TotalEnergies CAF Champions League crown and secure its 10th overall title thanks to goals from Mohamed Sherif, Magdy Afsha and Mohamed Elsoulia in Casablanca.
The opening period was competitive in the middle of the field and chances were far and few in between. Samir Nurkovic had a chance for the South African side with a curling shot in the 16th minute which flew straight to the keeper’s arms.
Kaizer Chiefs turning point of the game came just before halftime when Happy Mashiane was sent off for a dangerous studs-up foul on Tawfik Akram. Mashiane was initially yellow-carded, but upon a VAR review the referee changed his yellow card to red.
Ahly took maximum advantage of the numerical advantage in the second half and it took them just eight minutes to break the deadlock.
Akram sent Sherif through with a peach of a pass and the forward dinked the ball over an onrushing Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.
Al Ahly extended its lead in the 64th minute off a quick counter attack when the ball was launched behind the defense.
Keeper Akpeyi and defender Eric Mathoho did not decide who was to go for the ball and Mohamed Taher picked up on the left before spraying to Afsha who played a one two with Sherif before slamming the ball into the far left.
Ten minutes later, it was game over for Chiefs as Ahly got their third off another exquisite counter-attack. Sheriff picked the ball at the edge of the box before setting up Elsoulia with a beautiful backheel pass.
Elsoulia picked his spot and curled in a beauty past the goalkeeper to all but seal Al Ahly’s 10th CAF Champions League crown.
The Chiefs made attempts to try and cut out the deficit, but the Egyptians defended strongly and the South Africans couldn’t get past them as the game finished 3-0.
While Al Ahly celebrated a 10th Champions League title, head coach Pitso Mosimane was celebrating his third as coach and second with Ahly, having led them to the crown last season.
Al Ahly have now won double the number of Champions League titles than the next most successful club, their neighbours Zamalek.
The Cairo club will hope to impress at the Club World Cup as champions of Africa. In 2020, they beat Palmeiras of Brazil and took the game to European champions Bayern Munich in an impressive semi-final defeat.
Chidi Nwoke/CAF.
