Who will make it into the final of the first ever AFL?

• Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad Athletic hold slim 1-0 leads
• The return fixtures will be played Wednesday night
• The winner of the inaugural tournament gets USD4mn

The race for a place in the final of the inaugural edition of the African Football League (AFL) hots up this Wednesday with the return fixtures of the semi-final duels.

Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad Athletic Club hold identical 1-0 advantages over Al Ahly and Esperance respectively, and the two sides play away from home in the return fixtures, seeking to make the best result and progress to the final.

Al Ahly host Sundowns in Cairo. The Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Pretoria over the weekend and have their work cut out, to earn an outright win of more than two goals at home to make into the first ever AFL final.

Ahly have a relatively good record against Masandawana in Cairo as they have only lost once at home, a 1-0 defeat in the group phase of the 2021-22 CAF Champions League. The only other time Sundowns have managed a point from Cairo was in the return tie of last season’s group phase, when they drew 2-2.

In four previous meetings, Ahly has clinched victory. They hope they continue with this run when they meet up in a lucrative clash.

Head coach Marcel Koller whose side is yet to win a match in the AFL, says his side will be up for battle to ensure they progress to the final. They earned a place in the semis on the away goal rule after a 3-3 aggregate draw with Tanzania’s Simba.

Crucial game in Cairo 

“The game in Cairo will be crucial, and we will give it our all. There is still a good chance for us,” Koller said after his team’s defeat in Pretoria.

He will need his side’s forward line to be sharp, and the effectiveness of Mahmoud Kahraba and Percy tau up top will be crucial if they are to battle for a ticket to the final.

Meanwhile, Sundowns will not travel to Cairo with their hands in their backs and will be up to give their all. Coach Rulani Mokwena has expressed confidence that his charges will finish off the job in Cairo and mirror the results of their last two trips to the Egyptian capital.

“We have got a goal in Cairo, we know that and Al Ahly knows that too, and it stresses them a lot. The message that they have got is they know Sundowns can score in Cairo,” coach Mokwena said.

A draw will be enough to send Sundowns to the final. If the South Africans score one goal in Cairo, then Ahly will need to score at least three more to overturn the result.

In Rades, Esperance du Tunis will be looking for the same charm of luck that hoisted them beyond TP Mazembe in the quarter finals. They trailed 1-0 from the first leg played in Dar es Salaam, but won the home fixture 3-0 in Rades.

Getting result at home 

Head coach Tarek Thabet says his team remains focused on getting a result at home despite the defeat in the first leg.

“We know that was just one half of the game and we have a huge second half to play at home. We are looking to give our best. We have a very supportive crowd at home and we hope they can push us into the final,” said the tactician.

Wydad will progress to the final by only avoiding defeat, and tactician Adil Ramzi believes they have what it takes to see off a good result on enemy territory.

“We know we are facing a difficult game because Esperance is a great team with good history. I expect an open duel between the two teams. For us we know what is required of us and we will do our best to attain our target,” noted the coach.