CAF Champions League: Zamalek dominates Raja and joins Al Ahly in the final
Zamalek players, October 26, 2020. Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
4 min
The CAF Champions League final will be 100% Egyptian.
After Al Ahly, who dominated Wydad Casablanca, Zamalek SC validated their ticket to the final by beating Raja Casablanca in the semi-final second leg Wednesday November 4 (3-1, after a 1-0 victory in the first leg) .
It all happened in the last half hour.
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It is validated: on November 27, for the first time in the history of the CAF Champions League, the final will oppose two clubs from the same country.
The configuration was foreseen with these 50/50 semi-finals with two Moroccan clubs (Wydad and Raja) against two Egyptian clubs (Al Ahly and Zamalek).
After the qualification of Al Ahly against Wydad, unfortunate finalist of the last edition, Zamalek SC gleaned its place for the final meeting against Raja on Tuesday November 4th.
A 1-0 away winner in the first leg, the Egyptian club also won at home in the return, 3-1.
The Raja believed in it for ten minutes
After a scoreless first period, everything was packed after the break.
It only took a few moments for the Moroccans to put the two teams back on a level playing field across the two matches.
With a deflected strike at the entrance to the area, Congolese Ben Malango opened the scoring for Raja Casablanca (48th).
What.
A. Goal.
π # TotalCAFCL |
#ZSCRCA pic.twitter.com/fuZjk9mXce
#TotalCAFCL π (@CAF_Online) November 4, 2020
Shaken by the goal, Zamalek came to his senses, settled in the visitors' half and ended up finding the loophole.
Achraf Bencharki, the only scorer in the first leg, has become a decisive passer for Ferjani Sassi.
The midfielder saw a first shot blocked by the defense.
His second attempt, from the outside of the right foot, turned out to be as superb as it was effective: returning post and goal of the equalizer (61st).
Mostafa Mohamed folded the case
The protests of Raja players, who thought they saw an Egyptian hand before the goal, were of no avail.
And in the last minutes, the defense of the Green Eagles shattered.
After an overflow and a cross from Ahmed "Zizo" Sayed, Mostafa Mohamed rose in the air and headed the ball, which ended its race in the net (85th).
Forgotten by the central defenders on a deep pass from Sassi, the same Mohamed went to win his duel with the goalkeeper of Raja Mohamed Bouamira (88th), for the goal of KO.
Achraf Bencharki added a fourth in added time but after long procrastination it was called off for offside.
#TotalCAFCL π ππππ πππππππ!
π΄ @AlAhly vs.
@ZSCOfficial βͺ pic.twitter.com/EZhcBAJsKz
#TotalCAFCL π (@CAF_Online) November 4, 2020
It will therefore be a 100% Egyptian final on November 27: at the Borg El Arab stadium in Alexandria, Al Ahly, who holds the record for victories (8 coronations), will challenge Zamalek (5 coronations, like TP Mazembe).
Al Ahly has been chasing a victory since 2013 (finals lost in 2017 and 2018), while Zamalek has not lifted this trophy since 2002 (final lost in 2016).
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