Mohamed Hani’s 53rd minute strike handed Al Ahly a 1-0 win over Mexico’s CF Monterrey at the Al Nahyan Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday afternoon.
Al Ahly almost got off to the perfect start as Magdi Afsha played in Taher Mohamed Taher, although the striker failed to beat the on-rushing Esteban Andrada.
Taher went close again in the 28th minute as he fired inches wide of the upright from just outside the area.
Monterrey’s best effort of the first half fell to Sebastian Vegas, who dragged his effort wide of target after a surging run.
Hussein El-Shahat, almost gave Al Ahly the lead in the lead 38th minute as he smashed an effort onto the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Four minutes after the halftime break as Maximiliano Meza fired into the side-netting from inside the area.
Pitso Mosimane’s men took the lead on the 53rd minute, as Ali Maaloul sent in a low cross from the left which Monterrey’s keeper Esteban Andrada pushed into the path of Mohamed Hani, who made no mistake on the follow-up with a powerful first-timer from just inside the area.
The game opened up after that and Magdi Afsha had a chance to double the lead for Al Ahly in the 65th minute with his powerful volley saved by Monterrey keeper Andrada.
Mosimane was looking to manage the game in the last fifteen minutes with a tactical change, as Luis Miquissone replaced but Al Ahly were threatening to put the game to bed in the dying minutes, as Walid Soliman came close with a looping strike that was tipped into the bar by Andrada.
In the end, Hani’s second-half goal was enough to do the job as Al Ahly held on to semi-finals where they will meet Palmeiras, the Copa Libertadores champions, on February 8.
Here’s how they started:
Al Ahly: Ali Lotfi, Yasser Ibrahim, Rami Rabia, Mohamed Maghrabi, Mohamed Hani, Ali Maaloul, Aliou Dieng, Magdi Afsha, Ahmed Abdel-Kader, Hussein El-Shahat, Taher Mohamed Taher
Monterrey: Esteban Andrada, Erick Aguirre, Hector Moreno, Matias Kranevitter, Sebastian Vegas, Celso Ortiz, Luis Romo, Arturo Gonzalez, Rodolfo Pizarro, Rogelio Funes Mori, Maximiliano Meza
