The defending champions of the CAF Champions League, Al Ahly, have reached the final of the tournament four times in a row.
Al Ahly advanced to the 2022-2023 CAF Champions League final after defeating Esperance of Tunisia 1-0 in the second leg of the semi-finals tie on Friday night in Cairo.
The Egyptian Red Devils who won 3-0 at home, proceeded to their sixth final in seven seasons thanks to the lone goal scored by Hussein Elshahat in the first half of the second leg to make it 4-0 on aggregate. They broke the stalemate after 21 minutes following a cautious start.
After scoring twice in the first leg, Percy Tao swapped roles and took on the role of an assist provider. He expertly split the defense to assist Elshahat who then clipped the ball over the approaching keeper.
Unfortunately, Esperance who had to score five goals to overturn the 4-0 aggregate scoreline in their favour couldn’t do much. But their biggest chance in the first half came when Mohamed Ali Ben Hamouda attempted a half-volley which was redirected to a corner kick.
Al Ahly continued to play it safe in the second half, choosing to hold onto the ball at all costs and frustrating Esperance, who were in dire need of a goal.
The Egyptian club had several chances to win the game in the closing stages. They put together an incredible series of plays, but Ahmed Abdelkader was unable to keep his final shot on goal low.
Late chances were also presented to Mahmoud Kahraba, but the goalkeeper successfully blocked his attempt.
Al Ahly will now watch the outcome of the match between the Wydad Athletic Club and Mamelodi Sundowns, which is currently taking place in Pretoria. The winner of the match will face Al Ahly in CAF Champions League final round on June 4 (first leg) and June 11 (second leg).
