Two of Africa’s premier football teams, Al Ahly of Egypt and Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club, will go toe-to-toe in the second leg of the 2023 CAF Champions League final with the sole aim of becoming the best club side on the continent.
The Red Devils currently have the advantage over the defending champions following a 2-1 win in the first leg at the Cairo International Stadium last weekend thanks to goals from South African forward Percy Tau and hometown favorite Mahmoud Kahraba.
However, a late effort from Wydad midfielder Saifeddine Bouhra handed the Red Castle a lifeline heading into the second leg.
The two North African nations will be hoping to get one over the other, as Al Ahly will be looking to avoid defeat in order to be crowned champions, while a 1-0 win for Wydad is enough to see them become back-to-back winners.
What to Know
The two teams have met at this stage of the competition twice previously, with the Moroccans edging their Egyptian counterpart on both occasions.
Wydad were 2-1 winners on aggregate in the 2017 final. After a 1-1 draw in Cairo, they held on for a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture in Casablanca to be crowned champions.
In the final last season, both teams met again in a one-game match, with Wydad also dispatching Al Ahly in a 2-0 win to claim their third continental title.
Al Ahly are the most successful team in the competition’s history with ten titles and are in search of their 11th trophy, while the Red Castle have won it three times and are hoping to get their hands on it for the fourth time.
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Who to Watch Out For
Wydad AC
Bouly Sambou: The Senegalese forward will be key for Wydad if they are to overturn their first-leg deficit and defeat their Egyptian opponent. The 24-year-old has scored four goals for Les Rouges in the tournament this season, including providing the assist for their only goal in the first leg.
Yahya Jebrane: The captain and leader of the team, Jebrane has one goal and an assist, and he is another important player to watch in the final. He has started in all 11 of their matches, and his offensive prowess and passing ability will be key to breaking down the Al Ahly stronghold.
Saifeddine Bouhra: The 23-year-old midfielder scored Wydad’s only goal in the first leg. He has started nine of their eleven matches this term and has an assist to his name too.
Al Ahly
Percy Tau: Ahly’s most potent weapon and arguably the competition’s best player this season is South Africa’s Tau. The 29-year-old was on target in the first leg and has five goals and five assists to his name in the competition this season.
If Al Ahly are going to get a favourable result in Casablanca and subsequently lift the title, Tau’s output will be very much needed.
Mahmoud Kahraba: Another part of the Red Devils’ devastating attacking trio, Kahraba, like Tau, was also on target in the first leg. The 29-year-old Egyptian has six goals and one assist so far in the competition.
Hussein El Shahat: The eldest of Al Ahly’s attacking trinity, the 30-year-old has scored four times in the competition, along with providing three assists.
Head-to-Head
Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly has the upper hand over Wydad, with five wins to three in their 12 previous meetings, which included four draws between the two North African sides.
Of the five victories by Al Ahly, two of them have been away in Morocco, while two of Wydad’s three wins have been on home soil.
It is also important to note that the Red Devils have won three of their last four meetings against Wydad, scoring at least two goals in each of these wins, including in the 2020 season when they were 2-0 winners away from home in Casablanca.
When is the game and how to watch
The second leg of the 2023 CAF Champions League final between North African heavyweights Wydad AC and Al Ahly will kick off at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, at 8 p.m. (West African Time).
You can watch the game live on the go for free on Afrosport TV on Free TV Channel 730 and via VIDIDU .
