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Al-Ahly of Egypt scored a landslide victory by four goals to nothing once morest its Algerian guest, ES Setif, on Saturday evening, in the first leg of the semi-finals of the African Champions League.
This result facilitates the task of the Egyptian team in the expected return match in Algeria next Saturday. If he wins, Al-Ahly will qualify for the final round of the tournament for the third time in a row.
South African player Percy Tau scored two goals and assisted the other two goals scored by Taher Mohamed and Mohamed Sharif.
Al-Ahly of Egypt, the title holder who won this tournament ten times, benefited from the numerical shortage in the Algerian team following the expulsion of Amir Karaoui in the thirty-fifth minute of the match following returning to the mouse technique.
Despite the numerical shortage, the Algerian team almost finished the first half with a draw with its host, had Hicham Belkaroui missed an opportunity in stoppage time.
In the second half of the match, Al-Ahly of Egypt tightened its grip, scoring three goals, thus becoming the third club to win the first leg of the semi-final with four goals, following Nigeria’s Heartland and Egypt’s Zamalek.
picture released, Getty Images
And if he qualified, as it is likely, Al-Ahly will face the Moroccan Wydad team in a repeat of a confrontation that took place in 2017, and ended with Wydad winning.
Al-Ahly of Egypt leads the list of African clubs in the number of times qualified for the final of the African Champions League; Where he qualified 14 times.
South African Pitso Mosimane, coach of Al-Ahly of Egypt, seeks to win the African Champions League for the fourth time. Mosimane won the 2016 title with Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa.
Moroccan Wydad is close to qualifying for the final
picture released, Getty Images
Morocco’s Wydad won the CAF Champions League 2017
In Angola, earlier on Saturday, Morocco’s Wydad won three goals once morest one goal for its host Petro Atletico, in the same round of the African Championship.
And if he wins, as is likely in the return match at home, the Moroccan team qualifies for the final for the fifth time in the tournament they won in 1992 and 2017.
By mistake in the 16th minute of the match, Angolan player Thiago Azulao scored the first goal for the opposing team, before Wydad player Yahya Jebran boosted the score with a second goal for his team in the 45th minute.
In the 68th minute of the match, Guy Mpensa added the third goal of Wydad, before the hosts reduced the difference with a goal in the 81st minute by defender Ricardo Job.
In order to qualify for the final round, the Angolan team needs to score at least three goals in the second leg next Friday once morest Wydad at home, as Petro Atletico suffered a heavy defeat last month with five goals to one at the hands of Wydad.
History stands once morest Petro Atlético, as none of the nine teams that lost their first leg matches at home in the Champions League semi-finals, might not qualify for the final.
In the return match in Morocco, Brazilian player William Soares da Silva will not be with the Angolan team, following he received a red card in the extra time of Saturday’s match.
