As Al Ahly reached their fourth CAF Champions League final in five years, players like Afsha, Mohamed Sherif, and Aliou Dieng have rightly received plenty of praise for their role in the Reds’ route to the final, but behind them, Akram Tawfik has emerged as an unsung hero.
‘’I am proud of you my boy’’ said a prideful Pitso Mosimane to his player Akram Tawfik, following an incredible man of the match performance against Esperance Tunis.
The Ahly manager was delighted with the 23-year-old after his contest against the Tunisian side in Rades, and he repeated the tale in Cairo for the second one.
Tawfik played in an unusual position at right-wingback, originally a midfielder he was one of the best players in the semi-final of the CAF Champions League.
Al Ahly progressed to the final after defeating Esperance Tunis at home by 3-0 (4-0 on aggregate).
Goals came from a Ali Maaloul penalty and finishes signed off by Mohamed Sherif and Hussein El-Shahat.
However, Tawfik became the unsung hero who caught the eyes of many. He was met with a lot of praise and appreciation from both fans, teammates, and the coach.
Before shifting the loop on Tawfik, a look at the Red Devils’ performance should prove interesting. Putting a 3-4-3 formation with a defense that varies from three to five men. That happened with midfielder Hamdi Fathi playing between Ayman Ashraf and Badr Banoun, filling the role of a classic Libero.
That gave the freedom for Maaloul and Tawfik to move up the pitch and support on the offensive. Meanwhile in midfield started Amr El Solaya and Aliou Diang, both versatile players with a fair deal of stamina helping them run up and down the pitch. Alongside the wingers, they had the responsibility to support the defense wherever needed.
And that would be a decent segue to mention the forwards. Mohamed Sherif as striker continuing his fantastic form, Magdi Afsha on the left flank while Taher M. Taher on the right one. The former had the license to drop and roam around the lines and channels to offer passing options, while confusing the defense, creating chances and space for teammates. A role he filled with integrity earning him the man of the match award.
All over the pitch from the three-man defense to the midfield, wingbacks, and wingers, Al Ahly players were creating passing shapes, mainly triangles, constantly offering options to keep the ball while also managing to press quickly and recovering the ball provided the possession was lost.
Going back now to Tawfik and how he fits in this orchestra, and to do so, there is no better way than to use the words of the maestro himself:
‘’He is the most suitable person for the defensive wing position. He is a balanced player in the offensive and defensive sides.’’ Mosimane told the club.
‘’Therefore, the way we played against Esperance was suitable for him, because he is originally a midfielder, and knows how to deal when the ball is in his possession, he is a strong player, goes forward, and sends crosses.’’
In fact, Tawfik was the player with the most key passes (3), touches (96), and crosses (6). His heatmap shows he has been through the whole of the right side over the 96 minutes he played. Moreover, he attempted 63 passes with a 86% accuracy rate.
When in position, Tawfik made sure to make the most out of it his original identity as a midfielder. Always composed under pressure and aware of his options to relieve the ball and recycle the moves.
On the front foot, he was constantly effective, sending passes and crosses that could’ve easily been converted to assists if it weren’t for the poor finishes.
“At the same time, he defends in a good way, and he is also good at defending in one on one situations in addition to his physical strength. I am very pleased with his level,’’ Mosimane continued
Words that might seem like an understatement to someone who watched Tawfik from the stadium as well. He proved determined, aggressive, intelligent, resilient, and aware. All qualities that made him conquer the right side and pocket his opponents.
The 23-year-old made sure to monitor the Esperance players around him. The wingback kept an arm’s length away from the winger near him, keeping one eye on the ball and the other on his movement.
Making it a nightmare for opposing number Hamdou Elhouni who managed only one shot off target, two victorious duels out of nine, 15 passes, no key passes nor accurate crosses to show for, and failed to dribble past Tawfik three times out of an attempted four.
He also covered any empty spaces left by teammates, when center back Banoun, who played next to him, would be dragged out of position by the visitors’ forwards, Tawfik would tuck in and recover the danger.
Moreover, Tawfik does his job and some more. As a player who plays in an unusual position, it is expected that his teammates would appreciate it and offer as much support as possible. Something Taher and Solaya often failed to do. Mosimane was seen shouting at the midfielder for not covering the players near an already hands full Tawfik. Meanwhile, Taher seemed lost and/or unaware of the opposition on the defensive and was eventually subbed off at halftime.
Tawfik is stubborn in the best and most positive way possible, winning the most duels on Saturday with 11 out of 15. And it is no surprise he is the player who averaged the most tackles in the whole competition with 4.2 per game. Against the men in red and yellow, he made six tackles and recovered the ball on 12 occasions.
It is no surprise that by half-time, his teammates ran towards him as they were going back to the dressing room to congratulate him on an incredible first 45 minutes.
Following the game, a humble Tawfik said these words:
‘’When I am on the pitch, I have to do my job, I have to support my teammates just like they support me. I listen to the instructions and try to execute them.
‘’No matter the position, a player should always give his best. When I was asked to play as a right-wingback, I didn’t hesitate because I want to play.
‘’I fight for the supporters, and I am not just saying that. I fight for myself and everyone supporting me.’’
And fighting he did, a memorable performance for the 23-year-old that will keep the spotlight on him as his side heads to the final against Kaizer Chiefs on the 17th of July.
