Al Ahly narrowly defeated Raja Casablanca on Saturday night to hold the advantage in their CAF Champions League quarterfinal tie.
The record Africa champions won 2-1 in the teams’ first-leg clash at the Al Ahly WE Al Salam Stadium on Saturday night.
Moroccan side Raja Casablanca, who are two-time champions of this continental competition, will look to turn the tie around in the second leg on home soil.
Amr El Soulia and Hussien El Shahat gave Al Ahly an important lead in the opening twenty minutes of the game but a late goal in the first half from Raja reduced the deficit.
Al Ahly were forceful going forward in the opening exchanges and Mohamed Hany had a big chance to give them the lead in the fifth minute after going through on goal from Percy Tau’s pass, one-on-one with goalkeeper Anas Zniti but he scooped his shot over the crossbar.
The Red Eagles eventually broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Amr El-Sulya converted from the spot. The dubious penalty was awarded when a left-wing cross appeared to have struck the flailing arm of midfielder Mohamed Al Makahasi.
Both sides were finding chances, as the game opened up and Raja missed an open chance 19 minutes after Hamid Ahadad met Jamal Harkass’ cross with a good header in the six-yard box but goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy was equal to the task.
Al Ahly extended their lead on the 23rd minute when Hussein El Shahat received a ball from Percy Tau on the left flank before producing a beautiful finish to make it 2-0.
The Red Devils had a big chance to extend their lead for Al Ahly on the 38th minute after Amr El Soulia went clear on goal from a through ball by Percy Tau.
Raja managed to pull one back on the stroke of halftime when Abdelilah Madkour’s cutback met a thumping finish from Mohamed Zrida to get his side back in the game.
Anas Zniti was not having a good game in the Raja’s goal. The Green Eagles keeper spilled a weak shot straight to Tau, who could only fire into the side netting.
Raja were dealt a hammer blow when they went down to ten men in the 59th minute after Marouane Hadhoudi was red-carded for denying El Shahat’s shot by his hand.El Soulia missed to convert from the spot as his kick was smothered by Anas Zniti.
The game opened up as Al Ahly were threatening to get third and Pitso Mosimane made a tactical change 22 minutes before time as attacker Mohamed Magdy replaced Mohamed Sherif.
Raja were creating chances in the closing stages with a sustained pressure on Al Ahly and Hamid Ahadad summed up their night in stoppage time as he missed the target by a whisker.
How they lined-up:
Ahly: Mohamed El Shennawi – Mohamed Hani, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Abdel-Moneim (Walid Soliman 77), Ayman Ashraf (Mahmoud Wahid 84) – Amr El Sulaya, Aliou Dieng (Hamdi Fathi 46) – Ahmed Abdel-Kader, Percy Tau, Hussein El Shahat (Taher Mohamed Taher 77), Mohamed Sherif (Magdi Afsha 64)
Raja: 1-Zniti, 24-Hadhoudi, 35-Harkass, 26-Haddad (Fabrice Ngoma 36), 47-Soukhane, 29-Madkour, 4-Boulahroud (Zakaria Habti 87), 19-Zrida, 23-Makahasi (Abdeljalil Jbira 68), 5-Moutaouali, 7-Hamid Ahadad
