Al Ahly Struggles to Overcome Al Hilal in the CAF Champions League
Defending champions Al Ahly had to battle hard to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Sudanese side Al Hilal in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals at Cairo International Stadium.
The match was filled with dangerous chances for both teams, as Al Hilal, under the guidance of their Congolese coach Florent Ibenge, put on an impressive display despite missing their top scorer, Mohamed Abdelrahman “Gharbal.”
Al Ahly, aiming for their 13th continental title and third in a row under Swiss coach Marcel Koller, owed their win to midfielder Mohamed Hany, who scored the only goal of the match with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, capitalizing on a rebound from Ivorian goalkeeper Issa Fofana (11’).
Imam Ashour missed an opportunity to double the lead when he broke through on goal but saw his low shot saved by Fofana’s foot (14’). Meanwhile, Ahly’s goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy denied Burundian forward John Girumugisha an equalizer with a crucial save (19’).
Ahly dominated possession for most of the second half, while Al Hilal relied on counterattacks. Rami Rabia nearly added a second for the hosts with a powerful header, but Fofana produced a fine stop (63’), keeping the scoreline unchanged until the final whistle.
The two sides will meet again next week in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, for the return leg.
A Bigger Egyptian Victory
The other Egyptian representative in the competition, Pyramids FC, secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Morocco’s ASFAR Rabat at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo.
Pyramids dominated the encounter against the Moroccan side, who returned to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since 1988. The hosts took control, particularly in the first half, as DR Congo forward Fiston Mayele opened the scoring by finishing off a cross from Mostafa Fathi, who had capitalized on a costly mistake by defender Arabi Naji (2’).
Mayele wasted little time in doubling the lead, this time converting a pass from Ibrahim Adel (12’).
Under Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić, Pyramids continued to dictate the tempo while ASFAR struggled to regain composure. Ibrahim Adel made it 3-0 with a brilliant strike following an assist from Ramadan Sobhi (38’).
Just before halftime, the Moroccan visitors pulled one back through Abdel Fattah Hadraf, who finished off an impressive solo effort with a powerful shot past goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy (45+3’).
However, Ibrahim Adel cemented his status as the star of the match, adding his second and Pyramids’ fourth with a thunderous strike from a pass by Burkinabé midfielder Blati Touré (67’).
Meanwhile, both South African representatives gained an advantage in this round. Orlando Pirates secured a crucial 1-0 away victory over Algeria’s MC Alger, while Mamelodi Sundowns edged Tunisian giants Espérance 1-0 at home.
