In front of slightly over 50,000 fans at the Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, record African champions Al Ahly secured a place in the quarter‑finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with a convincing 3‑0 victory over Sudan’s Al Hilal. Substitute Hussein El Shahat came off the bench to score a double, helping the Red Devils reach the knockout phase in emphatic fashion. Ahly’s win moved them level on points with Hilal at 10, but the Egyptian side topped the group on goal difference after Hilal slipped to second place.
Ahly had taken the lead in the 25th minute when Mahmoud Kahraba scored from an assist by Ahmed Abdelkader. Kahraba had threatened the goal three times before finding the net, his closest effort striking the outside of the bar. In the second half, Hilal became more organized and created a few chances, but none were sufficient to get back into the game. The turning point came in the 64th minute when El Shahat, introduced just seconds earlier for Abdelkader, received a brilliant pass from Percy Tau and fired past the keeper to make it 2‑0.
Following El Shahat’s entrance, Al Ahly’s game plan shifted as coach Marcel Koller’s instructions took effect. Although Hilal remained within striking distance at 2‑1, they could not find an equaliser. Ahly’s defence held firm, and the Sudanese side was often denied by poor finishing in the final third. In the second minute of added time, El Shahat capped the performance by controlling a cross from Marwan Attia, gliding past two defenders and slotting a low shot into the net to seal a 3‑0 win and cement Al Ahly’s quarter‑final berth.
Elsewhere in Pretoria, Mamelodi Sundowns completed the group stage unbeaten, finishing with 14 points after a 2‑1 victory over winless Cameroonian side Cotonsport. The Cameroonians lost all their group matches, conceding 16 goals while scoring only three. A Marie Mekong own‑goal just before halftime gave Sundowns the lead, and Ethiopian international Abubeker Nasser added a second in the 86th minute. Cotonsport’s consolation came from Mashood Kasali in the 95th minute.
Comments are closed for this story.