4/27/2024-|Last update: 4/27/202412:32 AM (Mecca time)
The CAF Champions League final witnesses an all-Arab confrontation between Al-Ahly of Egypt and Esperance of Tunisia, after the former’s victory over Congolese Mazembe 3-0 on aggregate, and the Tunisian team’s victory over Sun Downs.
This is the third exclusive Arab confrontation in a row.
Esperance reached the final after repeating its 1-0 win over hosts Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria, winning by two unanswered goals in the aggregate of the two semi-final matches.
Esperance, which has secured a place in the expanded Club World Cup in 2025, will play against defending champion Al-Ahly of Egypt in the final.
Raed Bouchniba scored the visitors’ winning goal in the 57th minute with a low shot that deceived Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
Esperance surprises Sundowns with a goal scored by Bouchniba#African Champions League #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/LwskKKHkMo
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 26, 2024
The goal is the first to score against Sun Downs at home in the current edition of the tournament.
The match was stopped about 20 minutes after the start due to a thunderstorm that cut off electricity to some parts of the stadium, and the referee asked the players of both teams to go to the benches before entering the dressing room due to the climatic conditions and heavy rainfall.
About an hour after the match stopped, the players returned to the field.
Esperance goalkeeper Aman Allah Mamish stopped the home side’s attempts in the first half after denying more than one chance, most notably from striker Peter Shalwili, who shot from close range early.
Al-Ahly defends its title
In Cairo, Al-Ahly of Egypt, the defending champion, defeated its guest Mazembe 3-0 in the semi-final second leg of the tournament, advancing to the final with this result after the first leg in Congo ended in a goalless draw.
Abdel Moneim guides Al-Ahly to the goal of progress
#African Champions League #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/DIx44DuKai
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 26, 2024
Wissam Abu Ali ends things logically by scoring the second goal
#African Champions League #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/BSPQSKUOTz
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 26, 2024
Al-Ahly’s hat-trick was scored by Mohamed Abdel Moneim in the 68th minute, Wissam Abu Ali in the 83rd minute, and Akram Tawfiq in the last minute of stoppage time for the match.
Mazembe scored the lead goal in the 58th minute when a cross ball was played from the left side. Rami Rabieh headed it away before it reached Joel Biya, reaching Felipe Kinzumbi on the right side inside the penalty area, who passed a cross to which Biya rose and met it with a strong header, so that his ball hugged the net.
But the referee returned to the VAR technology and disallowed the goal on the grounds that the ball touched Piya’s hand while Rabiah was clearing the ball.
