Al Ahly beat Esperance to book Champions League final spot
Al Ahly beat Esperance Tunis 1-0 in the CAF Champions League semi-final second leg at Cairo International Stadium on Friday night.
The victory saw the Red Devils progress to the tournament’s final with a 4-0 win on aggregate.
The Egyptian powerhouse will face either Mamelodi Sundowns or Wydad Casablanca in the finals.
Al Ahly came into this game with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg that was played in Tunisia last week. A brace from Percy Tau and a goal from Mahmoud Kahraba were enough to sink Esperance on their own turf.
The hosts were doing a fantastic job of frustrating the visitors in the opening stage of the first half.
Marcel Koller’s side taking command of the showdown, they broke the deadlock in the 21st minute of the contest through El Shahat, thanks to Tau’s beautiful assist.
But, the Tunisian side were not discouraged after the Shahat’s goal, as they did not sit back and watch their opponents taking control of the showpiece.
Al AHLY LEADING AT THE BREAK
The half-time whistle blew, with the home side leading by a 1-0 scoreline.
Back out for the remaining half, the complexion of the game took a different direction with both sides testing each other’s goals.
However, Esperance looked to be the better side in the second stanza, as they came out guns blazing looking to pull one back.
Al Ahly struggled to threaten the visitors’ goalkeeper as the half progressed.
The home side regained their momentum, as they created a couple of chances to bury the game. However, they failed to capitalise on their clear-cut opportunities.
Esperance’s technical team made a couple of changes as they desperately chased the game.
The match calmed down a bit as the half drew on. But Al Ahly remained disciplined at the back and managed to hold on to their lead.
AL AHLY THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALS
The final whistle blew, with Al Ahly advancing to the tournament’s finals.
As a result, Cairo International Stadium was filled with abundant roars and rumbles from fans in the stands.
RELATED STORY: Al Ahly legend heaps praise on Percy Tau