CAIRO – Defending champions Al-Ahly pit up a spirited performance, beating Raja Club Athletic 2-1 in an end to end CAF Champions League quarter-final first-leg match at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo Saturday night.
First-half goals from Amr el-Solia and Hussein el-Shahaat gave Ahly an early advantage, with Mohamed Zrida halving the deficit for the visitors, but not enough to go the full length.
The Red Devils would have won by a bigger margin, but had El-Solia miss a second-half penalty.
The Egyptian giants had a perfect start, going ahead after 12 minutes courtesy of a VAR awarded penalty. Referee Jean Jacques Ndala visited the pitch-side monitor and Mohamed Al-Makaazi was adjudged to have handled Ayman Ashraf’s cross.
EL-Solia stepped up to score and give the defending champions a vital lead. Seven minutes later they should have been two goals up, but Mohamed Sherif’s header unmarked inside the box from a Percy Tau cross was saved by the keeper.
His blushes were wiped off though in the 23rd minute when EL-Shahaat side footed the ball home from inside the box after Tau’s inch perfect cross found his run inside the box.
The home side which had started the game with so much pace almost made it 3-0 in the 35th minute when Ahmed Abdelkader took two of his markers for a dance but his final shot was deflected wide.
Tau also had a chance at goal in the 37th minute but his low shot from the right was saved by keeper Anas Zniti who had been kept busy most of the half.
Raja made changes before half-time, Ilias Haddad being hauled off for Fabrice Ngoma, a change to try and find some balance in midfield.
It brought the much needed relief for Raja and they halved the deficit right at the break when Zrida finished off a cutback from Abdelilah Madkour.
In the second half, Raja came back pumped up with the goal, but found themselves on the receiving end on the hour mark when Marouane Hadhoudi was sent off for a foul inside the box. However, El-Solia missed the eventual penalty.
Despite the reprieve, Raja was handicapped in numbers and Ahly just but managed to see off the result ahead of next weekend’s return tie in Casablanca.
Petro snatches vital win over Sundowns
Angolan Petro de Luanda survived what looked like a late equalizer from Mamelodi Sundowns as they held on to beat the South African outfit 2-1 and earn a first leg advantage in the quarter-final duel in Luanda Saturday.
Sundowns scored in the fourth minute of added time, Neo Maema curling a brilliant ball into the top left corner. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR, after referee Janny Sikazwe visited the pitch-side monitor to chalk off the goal for a foul in the buildup.
This is the first time that VAR is used in the quarter finals of the Champions League.
The home side had come from a goal down to lead 2-1, a score-line they will hold heading to the return tie down South next weekend.
Lyle Lakay had given Sundowns the lead in the sixth minute, but skipper Tiago Azulao levelled matters for Petro before Yano scored the equalizer at the stroke of halftime.
Sundowns had a glorious start, Lakay curling a brilliant left footed freekick into the net after Thapelo Morena had been axed at the edge of the area.
But the home side, pushed on by the passionate crowd at the Estadio 11 de Novembro gave in a fight.
They levelled the scoring in the 16th minute when Azulao raced into the box to tap home a cross from To Carneiro on the left.
Sundowns almost re-took the lead in the 35th minute but Themba Zwane was denied by the bar after beating the offside trap from a Peter Shalulile pass.
The hard working Petro were rewarded for their resilience in the first minute of added time in the first half when Yano reacted quickest to burry the ball home after Azulao’s backheel effort at goal was pushed away by keeper Dennis Onyango.
In the second-half, Sundowns came seeking to get their feet back in the game and they had a chance after 52 minutes but the Petro keeper made a brilliant save to deny Shalulile’s header, with Teboho Mokoena’s effort from the recycled ball curling just wide.
Petro stuck to their shape and defended well, guarding their lead and attacking when they had the chance.
Heading to the return tie next weekend, Petro just need to avoid defeat to hand themselves a place in the semi-finals while Sundowns has to win by a margin of more than two goals.
Wydad pick slim victory over Belouizdad
Despite playing more than 83 minutes of the match with a man less, two-time winners Wydad Athletic Club beat home side CR Belouizdad 1-0 in the first-leg of their quarter-final encounter.
Guy Mbenza scored 19 seconds into the second half and despite seeing only 25pc of the possession in the game; Wydad had the job done to give them an advantage heading into next weekend’s return tie in Casablanca.
The Moroccan giants had to finish the match with 10 men after Jalal Daoudi was sent off just seven minutes into the match following a VAR intervention. But Wydad managed the numerical handicap to clinch victory.
Both sides had chances in the opening half, with Mbenza seeing a well-timed header flash just wide while Chouaib Keddad had a rasping shot from distance fly inches over.
In the second half, Wydad had the goal just 19 seconds in when Mbenza rose well inside the box to head home from an Ayoub el-Amloud cross from the right.
It was a massive goal for Wydad who had maintained their tactical discipline despite being a man down.
The hosts pushed them to defend deep, but were undone by poor decision making in the final third.
Skipper Chemseddine Nessakh attempted to catch the keeper off his guard with a dipping freekick from the left, striking the ball over while substitute Kheiredine Merzougui had a backpost header deflected wide for a corner.
The two had the best chances at the death, first skipper Nessakh seeing his header flying straight to the keeper’s arms while in the 92nd minute, Merzougui saw his looping header come off the basement of the upright.
In another first-leg, four-time champions Esperance of Tunisia drew 0-0 away to Algerians Entente Setif to confirm they are favoured to win the North African showdown.
However, Esperance will lack home support in Rades near Tunis on Friday as the second-leg is being staged behind closed doors as punishment for recent unruly behaviour by fans of the Tunisian club.
The best chances fell during the first half in Algiers with Setif goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia foiling Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Nigerian Kingsley Eduwo in one-on-one situations.
Ghaylene Chaalali then rattled the Setif crossbar with a free-kick while Esperance captain and goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia foiled Riad Benayad with a point-blank save at the other end.
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