Esperance v Al Ahly
@CAFCLCC
The CAF Champions League final remains in the balance after Esperance de Tunis and Al Ahly played to a goalless draw in the first leg on Saturday night..
CAF Champions League
Result: Al Ahly 0-0 Esperance
Date: 18 May 2024
Venue: Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi
Percy Tau retained his place in the Red Devils new attack that had Hussein El Shahat and Wessam Abou Ali recalled to join the Bafana Bafana forward.Esperance started on the front foot as with only five minutes on the clock, Rodrigo Rodrigues came very close to giving them the lead with a glancing header that missed the far post narrowly wide after a cross by Houssem Tka.
Al Ahly struggled to get out of their own half and their first shot at goal midway into the first stanza after Emam Ashour fired a shot out of the box just wide.
However, the game was on the edge ten minutes before the break, with ES Tunis making headway but they were not a threat to goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, as the sides went to the interval deadlocked.
ES Tunis had another bright start in the second stanza as seven minutes from the break Rodrigues came close again with a glancing header that missed narrowly wide.
The game became a scramble after the hour-mark, as both sides were cancelling each other out in midfield, although the Tunisian giants looked more threatening in attack.
With ten minutes to go, Marcel Koller required fresh legs in attack and in midfield, as Tau was replaced by Red Slim and Mohamed Magdi Kafsha came on for Emam Ashour.
The Red Devils had a sense of urgency to get the away goal in the dying minutes but they were not clinical enough and in the end the game ended all square.
The second-leg is scheduled for next Saturday in Cairo.
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