Al Ahly held by stubborn Al Hilal in Omdurman – 2021/22 CAF Champions League – African Football
Tempeers flare up during the CAF Champions League 2021/22 game between Al Hilal and Al Ahly at Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan 18 February 2022 © Mohamed Helal/BackpagePix
Friday Feb 18, 2022. 17:29
Al Ahly and Al Hilal Omdurman drew 0-0 in the CAF Champions League Group A match at the Al Hilal Stadium in Sudan on Friday afternoon.
As a result, the defending champions were held to a draw in their opening game, while their Sudanese opponents remain winless in Group A having played two games.
The Red Eagles started the match brightly, but Egyptian football heavyweights could not create clear-cut chances with the Blue Wave’s defence looking solid and compact.
Yasser Ibrahim decided to try his luck from range and the Al Ahly central defender’s low shot was comfortably saved by a well-positioned goalkeeper Ali Abu-Eshrein.
Al Hilal finished the first-half the stronger of the two teams with Eid Mugadam forcing keeper Ali Lofty into a low save after a good move by Joao Mota’s side.
The score was 0-0 during the half-time break with Al Hilal having improved gradually in the first-half, but they could not break the deadlock.
Al Ahly were the better side after the restart and Ali Maalou got in behind the Al Hilal defence and he tried to set-up Mohamed Sherif from close range.
However, Abu-Eshrein read the situation well and he came out and parried away Maaloul’s cross which could have been turned home by last season CAF Champions League Golden Boot winner, Sherif.
Pitso Mosimane, the Al Ahly head coach, introduced attack-minded duo of Mohamed Magdi Kafsha and Hussein El Shahat as the Red Eagles pushed for a late winning goal.
Kafsha was unlucky not to grab a late winner in stoppage time as his curling shot beat Abu-Eshrein, but the upright came to Al Hilal’s rescue and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Al Hilal 0
Al Ahly 0
Al-Hilal: Abu-Eshrein, Abdallah, Ouattara (Wadah 78′), Saeed, Adil, Khidir, Phiri, Mustapha, Ajagon, Mugadam (Siddig 89′), Mozamil, (Uromi 72′).
Al Ahly: Lotfy, Hany, Abdel-Moneim, Ibrahim, Ma’aloul, Dieng, Fathi, El-Sulya, Taher (El Shahat 67′), Abdel-Kader (Kafsha 61′), Sherif (Hassan 83′).
