Al Ahly du Caire CAFCL: Wydad Are Crowned Africa Champions After 30 Years

For the third time and after 30 years of football hustle Wydad Casablanca finally won CAF Champions League as they dethroned   Al Ahly 2-0.

Wydad Casablanca defeated Egyptian side Al Ahly 2-0 on Monday to win the CAF Champions League and complete a Moroccan club double in Africa this season. Zouhair el Moutaraji scored two goals.

On May 20, Renaissance Berkane won the CAF Confederation Cup, and will face Wydad in the CAF Super Cup.

Read Also:Al Ahly can play anywhere—coach Pitso Mosimane

El Moutaraji was promoted off the bench for the title final by Wydad coach Walid Regragui, and it proved to be a masterstroke as he scored after 15 and 48 minutes in Casablanca.

It was Wydad’s third victory in Africa, following victories in 1992 and 2017. The second victory was also against Ahly.

Ahly, who were chasing a record third consecutive title, enjoyed plenty of possession but were undone by the Moroccans’ precision finishing.

Pitso Mosimane, a South African-born Ahly coach, was also disappointed, since he had planned to become the first coach to win the premier African club league three times in a row.

Both Wydad and Ahly made one change from the sides that advanced to the final after drawing semi-final second legs against Petro Luanda of Angola and Entente Setif of Algeria, respectively.

El Moutaraji was picked in midfield by Regragui over Badie Aouk, who was one of the nine replacements.

Mohamed Abdelmonem, the Ahly centre-back, was ruled out due to a groin injury therefore Mosimane elevated another Egyptian international, the seasoned Ayman Ashraf.

As the teams entered the pitch, around 40,000 Wydad supporters sang, danced, cheered, and waved flags, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino among those watching.

Ahly was given 10,000 tickets, but just a few thousand fans travelled from the north of the continent to see the African club season’s highlight.

El Moutaraji’s elevation was justified as Wydad attacked from the kick-off and, after rattling the woodwork, went ahead in the 15th minute.

Guy Mbenza, a Congo Brazzaville native, had a shot from just outside the box blocked by the crossbar after beating Ahly captain and goalkeeper Mohamed el Shenawy.

El Moutaraji’s twisting thunderbolt from outside the penalty area sailed over El Shenawy and into the net, putting the Moroccans ahead four minutes later.

Ahly fought back into the game and came close to equalising midway through the first half when a Yasser Ibrahim header from a corner was just too high.

Ahly were threatening from set pieces, and the Cairo Red Devils’ Hussein el Shahat nodded barely wide from another corner.

As South African Percy Tau sought to square the score, Wydad goalkeeper Ahmed Tagnaouti dashed from his goalmouth to head the ball clear.

Three minutes into the second half, Wydad extended the lead, and El Moutaraji was the executioner once more.

El Shenawy parried his first attempt from close range, but the Moroccan responded quickly to send the rebound into the net.

As the second half continued, Mosimane made a number of substitutions, including bringing on leading scorer Mohamed Sherif, but the Cairo team was unable to break past the Wydad defence.

With eight minutes remaining, Sherif came dangerously close to adding to his six Champions League goals this season, but Tagnaouti parried his close-range poke and the ball was cleared.


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