- Ahly missed a second half penalty as well
- Raja scored a vital away goal that gives them a slight edge
- Ahly will need to avoid defeat in Casablanca to progress
First half goals from Amr El Solia and Hussein El Shahaat gave defending champion Al Ahly a priceless 2-1 first leg advantage over Raja Club Athletic in the quarter finals of the CAF Champions League in Cairo.
The defending champions put up a spirited first half performance, making the most of their chances to give themselves an edge ahead of next weekend’s return leg at a potentially intimidating atmosphere in Casablanca.
Mohamed Zrida scored an important away goal for Raja, who might use it to their advantage at home where a 1-0 victory will be enough to take them to the semi-finals.
“It was a very tough game but the most important thing is that we have victory at the end. We had more chances which we should have used but that is now gone and we focus on next weekend to finish the job,” said Ahly’s South African tactician Pitso Mosimane.
Ahly would have won by a bigger margin, but had El Solia miss a second half penalty.
The Red Devils had a perfect start, going ahead after 12 minutes courtesy of a VAR awarded penalty. Referee Jean Jacques Ndala visited the pitch-side monitor and Mohamed Al Makaazi was adjudged to have handled Ayman Ashraf’s cross.
EL Solia stepped up to score and give the defending champions a vital lead. Seven minutes later they should have been two goals up, but Mohamed Sherif’s header unmarked inside the box from a Percy Tau cross was saved by the keeper.
Amr El Solia scores a penalty for Al Ahly
His blushes were wiped off though in the 23rd minute when EL Shahaat side footed the ball home from inside the box after Tau’s inch perfect cross found his run inside the box.
The home side which had started the game with so much pace almost made it 3-0 in the 35th minute when Ahmed Abdelkader took two of his markers for a dance but his final shot was deflected wide.
Tau also had a chance at goal in the 37th minute but his low shot from the right was saved by keeper Anas Zniti who had been kept busy most of the half.
Action between AL Ahly and Raja Club Athletic
Raja made changes before halftime, Ilias Haddad being hauled off for Fabrice Ngoma, a change to try and find some balance in midfield. It brought the much needed relief for Raja and they halved the deficit right at the break when Zrida finished off a cutback from Abdelilah Madkour.
In the second half, Raja came back pumped up with the goal, but found themselves on the receiving end on the hour mark when Marouane Hadhoudi was sent off for a foul inside the box. However, El Solia missed the eventual penalty.
Despite the reprieve, Raja were handicapped in numbers and Ahly just but managed to see off the result ahead of next weekend’s return tie in Casablanca.
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