Percy Tau puts in decent shift as Al Ahly edge Simba SC
Bafana Bafana playmaker Percy Tau put in a good shift as Al Ahly beat Simba SC in the first-leg of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
Al Ahly remain on course for their title defence after a narrow 1-0 win away at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Tanzania.
They were in front as early as the fourth minute when Ahmed Nabil Koka scored following a goalmouth scramble.
Simba SC played toe-to-toe with the Egyptian giants in both halves, but an equaliser remained elusive.
Moreso, the Bafana playmaker Percy Tau put in a good shift to help his side get an important result.
Though he was not involved in the build-up to the goal, Tau was diminutive on most occasions. His moves were thwarted by the Simba defenders, and he was then withdrawn in the second half for Hussein Ali El Shahat.
HOW THE BAFANA PLAYMAKER PERCY TAU HAS FARED IN THE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
So far, the 29-year-old has only managed one goal for Al Ahly in the 2023/24 CAF Champions League.
He got the goal in a match against Young Africans on 2 December 2023 in a group phase match. In total, the Bafana star has six goals under his belt in 22 appearances across all competitions.
In addition, Tau’s team will have home advantage in the second-leg, and if they progress, they will face even tougher opponents.
If they win, they will face eight TP Mazembe of the DR Congo or Angola’s Petro Atletico in the semi-final.
AL AHLY AND SIMBA SC LAST MEETINGS
After failing to go past the quarter-final stage last season, Simba SC were more than hungry to prove a point.
Interestingly, their last meeting was in the inaugural African Football League, when they settled for a 2-2 draw in the first leg.
The second leg ended 1-1 but the Egyptians qualified for the next phase on an away goals rule.
Moreso, in the group stage of the 2020/2021 Champions League Simba SC beat Al Ahly 1-0. And the Egyptian giants also won by similar margin at home, Cairo.
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