Egyptian giants Al Ahly moved top of Group B in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet struck twice to secure a 2-0 victory over Tanzania’s Young Africans in Alexandria on Friday.
The 12 time champions made the most of their decisive moments at Borg El Arab Stadium, with Trezeguet’s goals either side of half-time enough to extend their unbeaten start to the group stage and take sole possession of first place.
Young Africans began brightly and looked unfazed by the occasion, testing Al Ahly early on through Allan Onkell and a series of quick counter-attacks.
Mostafa Shobeir was called into action inside the opening quarter-hour, saving smartly before Yasser Ibrahim cleared the danger as the visitors threatened to take control.
Despite dominating possession, Al Ahly struggled to break through until stoppage time at the end of the first half. Their first clear opening proved decisive.
Mohamed Hany delivered a teasing cross from the right and Trezeguet rose above his marker to guide a header into the net, the ball slipping under the Young Africans goalkeeper’s hand to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The Tanzanian side continued to push after the restart and went close again when a low drive almost caught Shobeir out, but the Al Ahly goalkeeper reacted sharply to preserve his side’s advantage.
Al Ahly gradually asserted greater control and doubled their lead in the 75th minute. Trezeguet collected the ball inside the penalty area, shifted it onto his right foot and fired powerfully into the net to complete his brace and underline his growing influence in the competition.
Young Africans almost pulled one back late on, only for Shobeir to produce another fine save, while Al Ahly passed up chances to add a third in the closing stages.
The win lifts Al Ahly to seven points from three matches at the summit of Group B, while Young Africans remain second on four points as the group approaches its decisive phase.
Sundowns and Al-Hilal share points in Champions League thriller
Mamelodi Sundowns were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw by Sudan’s Al-Hilal Omdurman as Group C rivals shared the spoils in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Friday night.
The result kept both sides firmly in the race for qualification after a contest that swung in momentum and quality at Loftus Versfeld.
Sundowns started with intent but fell behind in the 15th minute when Omer Abdelrazig arrived unmarked at the near post to power home, punishing a rare lapse in concentration from the hosts.
The response was swift. Five minutes later, Arthur Sales finished calmly from close range after Nuno Santos switched play to open up the Al-Hilal defence.
The match settled into a tactical battle before the break, with Sundowns enjoying possession but finding limited space against disciplined visitors. Al-Hilal were forced into an early change when Ousmane Diouf departed injured.
The home side edged ahead midway through the second half as a short-corner routine released Teboho Mokoena, who drove a fierce strike into the near corner from outside the box.
However, their lead lasted only six minutes. Abdelraziq struck again, sliding home from a low cross to level the contest.
Al-Hilal were reduced to ten men late on after Emmanuel Flommo was sent off, but Sundowns could not force a winner, leaving both teams satisfied with a point apiece.
