- Al Hilal won 1-0 in Khartoum
- Ahly were playing their first game of the group stages
- Fellow Sudanese side Al Merrikh drew with Egypt’s Zamalek
Sudanese giants AL Hilal and Al Merreikh picked up favourable results in the CAF Champions League this weekend, with Hilal picking a massive result with a 1-0 victory at home against record African champions Al Ahly in Khartoum.
Makabi Lilepo scored the winner for the Sudanese league champions in the second half, though he also missed a penalty but it didn’t matter much as they secured maximum points.
Ahly was the dangerous side for most of the opening half with Hussein Al Shahat coming close in the sixth minute while Percy tau saw his 33rd minute effort turned behind for a corner.
Lilepo had Hilal’s closest chance in the opening half two minutes to the break when his shot from the left channel was turned behind for a corner by Mohamed Elshenawy.
The hosts started the second half stronger and were rewarded just 10 minutes after the restart when Lilepo hit the back of the net.
He should have doubled his tally 10 minutes later, but the Congolese forward saw his penalty saved by Elshenawy.
Hilal defended well
Al Ahly taking on Al Hilal in Khartoum. PHOTO/Al Hilal
Ahly tried to pile in the pressure, but Hilal defended well.
The Egyptian Red Devils will now take on group leaders Mamelodi Sundowns next weekend, under pressure to earn maximum points. Hilal will be away to Cotonsport in Garoua.
Elsewhere in Libya where Merrikh are playing their home matches, they held another Egyptian giant, Zamalek, to a 0-0 draw. Merrikh have to play their home matches in Libya as their home ground in Khartoum is not CAF approved and they couldn’t share Hilal’s home ground as they also had a match.
They played the game at the Benina Martyrs International Stadium in Benghazi.
Both sides started their campaign last weekend with identical 1-0 losses, but they managed to get one each on board after match day two.
On a hot afternoon in Benghazi, it was a closely contested tie, with Merreikh looking to make the most of their ‘home advantage”.
Zamalek defend well under pressure
Zamalek defended well in the face of a spirited attack from Merreikh.
Goalkeeper Mohamed Awad had to be hawk-eyed and he made a neat save to deny Masinho in the 27th minute with a close opportunity, ensuring the spoils remained shared at the break.
In the second half, Merreikh kept their attacking front and Awad made another good save to deny Alex Da Silva 10 minutes after the restart.
Late on in the game, with 12 minutes left on the clock, Awad made another brilliant save, putting a strong right palm to punch away an overhead kick from Ajab Ramadan.
None of the two sides could land a goal as they shared a barren stalemate, a result that leaves them occupying the bottom two slots in the group.
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