Al Ahly defeats Esperance and Rades’ dilemma continues

CAIRO – 24 September 2017: Al Ahly turned the game over after losing in the first half, with one goal from Esperance Sportive, to a 2-1 victory on Saturday evening at Rades stadium, Tunisia, to qualify to the semifinal of the African Champions League.

Al Ahly started the game strong, with massive waves of attack as Mo’men Zakaria threatened Esperance Sportive at the second minute of the game with a dangerous shot which Moaz Bin Sharefya, Esperance’s goalkeeper, succeeded to save. Esperance reordered its lines to control the ball, which made the team reach 54% possession the ball. At the 38th minute, Al Ahli’s left back Ali Ma’loul made a mistake after which he returned a long ball from Esperance to his goalkeeper, albeit very weekly. This put Esperance’s striker in front of Sherif Ekramy, Al Ahly’s goalkeeper, who tackled the striker to give the opponent a penalty kick and a yellow card for Ekramy, Taha Yassin Khenisy, Esperance’s attacking star didn’t fail the fans and managed to score from the penalty kick with a strong unstoppable shot, which put Esperance in the lead at the 39th minute of the game to end the first half 1-0 for Esperance.

Egyptian champion Al Ahly refused to continue the match as a loser and recovered the soul of the champion, managing to score the equalizing goal by Ali Ma’loul after he translated a cross from Ahmed Fathi which Bin Sharefya failed to intercept at the 50th minute of the game. To continue Al Ahly’s legacy in Rades stadium to win every critical game in the African Champions League, as substitute Junior Ajayi scored the second and winning goal for Al Ahly after a fast counter attack made by Ali Ma’loul. He had made a long sprint before crossing the ball to Ajayi who didn’t fail his teammate and the fans to put the Egyptian giant in the lead at the 62nd minute of the game.

Despite the error in the first half, which resulted in a penalty kick for Esperance, Egypt Today Staff has chosen Tunisian left back Ali Ma’loul the man of the match given his great performance. Al Ahly now qualifies to the semifinal of CAF African Champions League.