Egyptian giants Al-Ahly has set up a showdown with Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa in the final of the 2020-21 CAF Champions League after they defeated Esperance de Tunis 3-0 (4-0 on aggregate) at Cairo’s Al-Salam Stadium.
The Egyptian Premier League giants have reached the final of the competition for the second consecutive season after strolling past the Tunisians.
Ali Maaloul’s penalty set the Red Devils rolling before second half goals from Mohamed Sherif and Hussein El-Shahat cemented the victory for the home side at the AL-Salaam Stadium in Cairo.
Esperance defender Ilyes Cheti was sent off in the first half leading up to Maaloul’s penalty.
Ahly got into the lead in the 38th minute off the penalty spot after a lengthy VAR check. Cheti was adjudged to have brought down Mohamed Taher inside the box as the last defender and referee Alioum Alioum gave the penalty and sent the defender early to the showers.
In the second half, Ahly were in total control of the game and within four minutes had sealed the victory. Sherif swept the ball home with a first time finish inside the box after a beautiful through pass from Mohamed Magdy Afsha.
Four minutes later, the home side was 3-0 up, but not before another VAR check. Afsha picked out Elshahat with a peach of a pass planted behind the defence, the latter doing the easiest of tasks of sweeping the ball home.
The second assistant referee had initially hoisted her flag for offside, but when the call was referred upstairs, the goal was given.
Ahy were in total dominance and they should have been 4-0 up in the 66th minute but Esperance keeper Moez Ben Cherifia made a superb one handed save to parry away a brilliant connecting shot from Sherif after he had been picked out by a cut back from Elshahat.
Ahly controlled the tempo of the game and managed to hold off for the clean-sheet and a ticket to the final.
Chiefs hold on to advance into final
South African giants Kaizer Chiefs held their nerves for a barren draw against Wydad Club Athletic, to qualify for their first ever CAF Champions League final with a 1-0 aggregate victory over the Moroccan side.
Having won by a solitary goal in the first leg in Casablanca last week, Amakhosi just needed a draw in the return fixture at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and they did just that, to secure a place in the finale.
Wydad, two-time winners of the Champions League, will live to rue missed chances in both legs as they are eliminated in the semi-final stages for the second season in a row.
Just as they did in the first leg, Wydad pinned Chiefs in their own half for most of the game, but they couldn’t make the chances they had count.
