Summary
CAF Champions League: Al Ahly win first leg, but Wydad remain hopeful
A year after Wydad's 2-0 victory over Al Ahly, the two teams met again in the final to compete for the trophy. Sunday, in the first leg in Cairo, the Egyptians took the upper hand on a score (2-1) that promises a hot return match in a week in Casablanca.
South African Percy Tau has just opened the scoring to the delight of the Egyptians. REUTERS - AMR ABDALLAH DALSH
Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow
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It's a royal poster for a final. Al Ahly and Wydad, the last two finalists, winners each twice in the last seven editions, had a first appointment this Sunday in Cairo for the first leg of the final of the Champions League 2023. The Egyptians will have negotiated better this first act, overcoming Moroccans rarely dangerous for 90 minutes except for a shot on the post of Amine Farhane (69th) and the precious reduction of the score of Saifeddine Bouhrati (86th).
The referee blows the full-time whistle in Cairo! 🔥 #TotalEnergiesCAFCL | #ASCWAC pic.twitter.com/uyz3d3chLz
— TotalEnergies CAFCL - TotalEnergies CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) June 4, 2023
The Cairotes have however generally mastered this meeting, because Marcel Koller's men took the match by the right end, suffocating their opponents from the beginning of the game. It was a miracle that Wydad did not concede a goal in the first half hour as the intensity of the Al Ahly players put their heads under water for a long time. The Egyptians thought twice (31st and 37th) to benefit from a penalty, but the Var came to the rescue of Libyan referee Ibrahim each time.
Hussein El Shahat twice decisive
It was only a reprieve, because by dint of folding, the men of Sven Vandenbroeck will break a first time punished by a header of the South African Percy Tau who took an offering to the second post of Hussein El Shahat (45 + 4). Kahraba who scored the second Egyptian goal will also benefit from an assist from El Shahat on an action where Moroccan goalkeeper Youssef El Motie is not without reproach (59th).
Winner of the trophy in 2020 and 2021, record holder of victories in the Champions League (14) Al Ahly is ahead after this first leg, but the goal Saifeddine Bouhrati has the gift of giving great hope to the Moroccans for the return match and suspense for the followers of these two teams who do not leave each other.
The second leg will take place on Sunday 11 June.
>> Read also: [CAF Champions League] Bouly Jr Sambou: "I was adopted by the public of Wydad"
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- CAF Champions League
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Football
- Sports