Al-Ahly of Egypt beat Moroccan Wydad in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final

Al-Ahly of Egypt beat its Moroccan counterpart, Wydad, with two goals to one, in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final in Cairo today, Sunday.

Percy Tau gave the landowner the lead in the third minute of stoppage time, before Mahmoud Abdel Moneim (Kahraba) strengthened Al-Ahly’s superiority in the 59th minute.

But substitute Saifuddin Bohra pulled one back for the defending champions in the 85th minute, three minutes after his participation.

Al-Ahly will visit Wydad in Casablanca in the return match next Sunday.

As expected, Al-Ahly took possession of the ball at the beginning of the match, with Wydad retreating, in contrast to what happened in their confrontation in last year’s final, which was played from one match, when Wydad won 2-0 in Morocco.

The Wydad defense almost paid the price for a gag when Yahya Gebran returned a ball back, but it reached Kahraba, who hit it badly in the hands of Youssef Al-Mutie in the 18th minute.

Libyan referee Ibrahim Moataz awarded a free kick to Al-Ahly near the penalty area, which was taken by Ali Maaloul, so that the referee indicated that there was a penalty kick in the 30th minute.

However, the video assistant referee intervened to save the referee, as Maaloul’s shot hit the head of Wydad striker Pauli Sambo.

Mustafa Schubert, son of Al-Ahly legend Ahmed Schubert, saved his team from an opportunity from Ayman Al-Hassouni from close range in the 40th minute.

Hamdi Fathi passed a ball to Hussein Al-Shahat on the left side, to send a cross pass, which Tau turned with a header into the net, to give Al-Ahly a well-deserved lead.

Wydad got a free kick near the penalty area, which was hit by Ayoub Al-Amoud in the hands of Schubert.

Wydad improved after the break and Zuhair El Matraji, who scored a double victory in last year’s final, missed the chance to equalize when he shot wide from close range in the 48th minute.

Tao passed the ball to Kahraba on the right side, but the Egyptian striker sent it a low, bad cross, to reach Al-Motiea.

In the next attack, Kahraba hit a weak ball from outside the penalty area in the hands of Al-Mutie.

Al-Hassouni received a cross pass inside the penalty area to shoot it in the far corner, but it passed outside the field in the 55th minute.

In light of Wydad’s control and danger over Al-Ahly’s goal, the Moroccan team’s net was shaken by the second goal.

And Mohamed Hani sent a wonderful long pass to Al-Shahat on the left side, who took advantage of the wrong exit from the obedient goalkeeper to pass to Kahraba, to shoot hard at the goal and enhance Al-Ahly’s superiority.

Schubert excelled in saving his own goal from a powerful shot from inside the penalty area from Al Amoud 12 minutes before the end.

Wydad took advantage of a defensive lapse from Al-Ahly, when Maaloul made a mistake in clearing a ball to reach Al-Amoud, to pass to Bohra to reduce the difference.