The first leg of the CAF Champions League Final ended in a goalless stalemate, as Espérance of Tunisia were held to a 0-0 draw by defending champions, Al Ahly SC on Saturday evening.
The match was played at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Tunisia where four-time champions, Espérance hoped to gain an advantage ahead of the return leg in Cairo next Saturday. Despite dominating possession, Espérance struggled to create clear chances, with Al Ahly’s solid defense proving difficult to penetrate.
Rodrigues Silver nearly opened the scoring early on, heading a well-placed cross from Houssem Tka just inches wide. Al Shahat of Al Ahly nearly broke the deadlock before halftime, but his powerful shot from distance narrowly missed the target, much to the relief of Espérance’s young goalkeeper, Amanallah Memmiche, who continued his fine form.
Both teams went into the break with few chances created and a determination to find the opener in the second half. Espérance resumed their offensive efforts, with Roger Aholou coming close as his well-struck shot from range sailed just over the bar. Encouraged by their home crowd, Espérance kept pushing forward, but Al Ahly’s resolute defense held firm.
The introduction of Al Ahly’s key player, Afsha, added to their attack. They nearly scored just after the hour mark when Emam Abdelghany’s brilliant long-range strike almost caught Memmiche off guard. As the match neared its conclusion, Al Ahly maintained their discipline. Experienced players like Percy Tau focused on possession to frustrate the Tunisians and secure a goalless draw.
With the score tied at 0-0, the second leg of the CAF Champions League Final in Cairo promises to be an action-packed affair, as both sides aim to claim Africa’s most coveted club football trophy.
