Al Ahly have put one foot in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals with a nervy 1-0 win over Ghana’s Medeama in Kumasi.
The game took place at its original time at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium despite Al Ahly’s request to postpone it due to their airplane accident.
Al Ahly entered the game reinforced by the return of Percy Tau from international duty as well as Amr El-Sulya and Karim Nedved, who have been out for some time due to injury.
The hosts were the better side in the first half and had a big chance through Bernardinho Tetteh, but Mostafa Shobier parried away his close-range effort.
Shobier came to the rescue again a few minutes later to brilliantly turn Hamidu Abdul Fatawu’s free-kick into corner in the 22nd minute.
Meanwhile, Al Ahly’s only real chance in the first-half came through Hussein El-Shahat; however, the winger’s effort from inside the box went wide.
Just four minutes into the break, El-Shahat redeemed himself as he put Al Ahly ahead, with his low powerful shot from Modeste’s pass beating the keeper.
Al Ahly controlled the second-half, but almost got punished through former Future FC striker Diawisie Taylor; however, his header was brilliantly saved by Shobier, before the rebound hit the post.
The second-half also witnessed the debut of Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, who came to score in the 75th minute but was denied by the keeper, for the game to end in a narrow 1-0 win for Al Ahly.
The win maintains Al Ahly’s position at the top of group D with nine points, four ahead of both CR Belouizdad and Young Africans, who will face each other on Saturday.
In case either CR Belouizdad or Young Africans beat each other, Al Ahly will officially secure their spot in the knockout rounds ahead of the final game against the latter in Cairo.
