Al Ahly took the early advantage in the CAF Champions League final with a 2-1 first-leg win over Wydad Casablanca at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday evening.
The game is a rematch of last season’s final which Wydad won 2-0 in a single-leg tie. However, the Red Devils took the lead on their turf through South African and former Brighton & Hove Albion forward Percy Tau.
Hussein El Shahat’s delivery on the left side of the penalty area found an unmarked Tau who sent in a bullet header past Wydad goalkeeper Youssef El Motie.
Ahly doubled their lead just before the hour mark, El Shahat latching to a long ball by Mohamed Hany before cutting it back for Mahmoud Kahraba to smash home.
It seemed the 10-time Champions League winners were going to finish without conceding but they didn’t when Saifeddine Bouhrati drilled the ball in from Bouly Sambou’s cutback pass with four minutes left to the end of regulation time
The referee blows the full-time whistle in Cairo! ????#TotalEnergiesCAFCL | #ASCWAC pic.twitter.com/uyz3d3chLz
— TotalEnergies CAFCL – TotalEnergies CAFCC ???? (@CAFCLCC) June 4, 2023
The strike gives Wydad the crucial away goal which they will take to the return leg in Casablanca next Sunday and will hope to overturn their deficit and claim back-to-back titles.
For Al Ahly, they face a tough challenge in holding on to their slender lead.
