Egyptian clubs receive 2/2. Al Ahly and Pyramids FC qualified for the group phase of the 2023-2024 edition of the CAF LDC, beating Saint-George and APR of Rwanda respectively. Orlando Pirates, meanwhile, were eliminated by Botswana's surprising Jwaneng Galaxy.
نهاية المباراة 🦅💪#يلا_يا_أهلي#أفريقيا_يا_أهلي pic.twitter.com/tzYdLHT1P6
— النادي الأهلي (@AlAhly) September 29, 2023
Al Ahly, record holders of the CAF Champions League with 11 titles to their name, will once again take part in the group phase. After winning the first leg against Saint-George (0-3), the Egyptians validated their qualification by dominating the Ethiopians once again in the second leg (4-0). Mohamed Magdy Afsha and Mahmoud Kahraba both scored twice in the victory.
The pocket midfielder opened the scoring after just 10 minutes, before his team-mate followed suit shortly after the half-hour mark (34th). With the outcome of the game already known, he scored his second goal of the game before the break (39th). On the stroke of half-time, Kahraba also scored his 2nd goal of the game to definitively seal the result (62nd). With an aggregate score of 7-0 from the double-header, Al Ahly secured their passage to the CAF LDC group stage without a moment's hesitation, and will once again attempt to defend their title.
Mostafa Fathi boosts Pyramids FC
APR, the only Rwandan club in the running for this year's CAF Champions League, came up short. After drawing with Pyramids FC (0-0) in the first leg of the 2nd round of the CAF Champions League, the Rwandan side needed to get a result on the return leg in Egypt.But the Militaires were outclassed by their opponents, who won by a clear 6-1 scoreline.The main architect of the Egyptian success was none other than Mostafa Fathi, who scored a resounding four goals (18th, 56th, 61st and 82nd). Walid El Karti (21st) and Mohamed Chibi (70th) gave the Egyptians an even bigger win, despite APR's late penalty (86th) to close the gap.The Rwandans' progress ended at the group stage, while the Egyptians reached it for the first time in their history.
المشاركة الأولى ✅
دور المجموعات ✅مستعدين لدوري أبطال أفريقيا 🔵#بيراميدز pic.twitter.com/OeR3xPep11
— Pyramids FC (@pyramidsfc) September 29, 2023
Orlando Pirates lose penalty shoot-out
The first sensation in this final round before the CAF CL group phase came from South Africa. After Al Ahly and Pyramids FC had qualified, Orlando Pirates were eliminated by Jwaneng Galaxy on Friday September 29. Despite losing the first leg in Botswana (1-0), the South Africans rallied in the second leg at home to win by the same scoreline. Evidence Makgopa, the game's only scorer, kept the Buccaneers' hopes of qualification alive (66'). But the Pirates' hopes were dashed in the penalty shoot-out (5-4).J ust as the Botswana team were about to make a clean sweep of the shoot-out, Mofokeng saw his attempt saved. This failure meant elimination for the Pirates, who had to make do with a place in the group stage.
