CAF Champions League: Al Ahly take narrow advantage over Wydad ahead of the second leg
Al Ahly won the first leg of the CAF Champions League final against Wydad 2-1, with the return fixture a week away.
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No surprises here: football fans were treated to a cracker in the clash between Al Ahly and Wydad. The rematch of the 2022 final lived up to the billing, in this first leg of the CAF Champions League final.
Going into this CAF Champions League final without first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy was a blow for the Cairo club. Against all expectations, his stand-in for the night, Mostafa Shobeir, turned into a brick wall against the Wydad forwards. In the 40th minute, he denied Reda Jaadi from a good chance. Clinical in both boxes, Al Ahly made their attacking moments count thanks to the creativity of Hussein El Shahat, who proved decisive twice. First by setting up Percy Tau (45+4 min) to open the scoring, then in the second half by teeing up Kahraba (59th).
A Wydad goal that changes everything
The most successful club on the continent kept pushing for a 3rd goal and even had a promising counter-attack opportunity that would have fallen to South African Percy Tau, but defender Yahia Attiyat-Allah deliberately stopped the move with a handball. The referee only showed him a yellow card, even though the whole Egyptian crowd expected a sending-off. It was an important decision in Wydad's favour, and one that would not come without consequences.
In the closing minutes of this CAF Champions League final, Wydad went all out in attack and looked very dangerous, notably through Moroccan Yahia Attiyat-Allah. The 2022 World Cup semi-finalist hit the post behind Shobeir with a shot from outside the box. Persistent, the Wydad players finally broke down Al Ahly's defence through Bouhra (86th). The goal pulling one back could change everything with a week to go until the second leg. It will all be decided in Casablanca on Sunday 11 June, with Wydad needing to overturn a one-goal deficit.