(AFP PHOTO)
Al-Ahly SC retained the top spot in Group A in the African Champions League quarter-final with the away draw against South African team, the Orlando Pirates in the last group stage match on Sunday afternoon.
The Pirates defeated Al-Ahly 3-0 in El-Gouna Stadium earlier in the group stage.
The first chance in the game was for Al Ahly’s Ahmed Abdel Zaher, whose header went over the bar in minute 15.
Fifteen minutes later, the Pirates threatened Al-Ahly with a strong shot from outside the penalty area.
The first chance for the Pirates arrived in the second half, at minute 70, when the Pirates’ Lehlogonolo Masalesa missed a one-on-one opportunity with Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy, by kicking the ball over the bar.
Walid Soliman missed the chance to win the game for his team when he was approaching the Pirates’ goalkeeper, but he shot the ball outside the goalposts.
With this result, Al-Ahly will play the Cameroonian team Coton Sport De Garoua in the semi-finals. Coton Sport chose 5 October as the date for their home leg and Al-Ahly chose 20 October.
The Pirates also made it to the semi-finals, benefiting from Zamalek’s win over the Congolese team, the AC Leopards.
The game held in El-Gouna stadium began with Leopards scoring in minute 25 by Rudy Bhebey, who lobbed the ball into the net over Zamalek’s goalkeeper Abdel Wahed Al-Sayed.
Seven minutes later, Mahmoud Abdel Razek, “Shikabala,” passed the ball to Ahmed Gaafar, who passed it to Mohamed Ibrahim, who drew level for Zamalek.
Shikabala scored the second goal for Zamalek with a strong shot from inside the penalty area in minute 45.
Gaafar diverted Hazem Emam’s cross with a strong header in minute 57.
Gaafar scored again with a deftly executed finish in minute 65, guaranteeing a 4-1 for Zamalek. The win is useless, since Zamalek was eliminated from the competition when they lost against Al-Ahly, 4-2, on 15 September. The win only meant that the Pirates reached the semi-finals to play the Tunisian giants, Espérance Sportive de Tunis.
