CAFCL: Al Ahly and ES Tunis progress to Final

The climax of the 2024 CAF Champions League has arrived, featuring Africa’s most decorated club, Al Ahly, and Tunisian powerhouse ES Tunis, emerging as the sole finalists from among the 68 clubs that vied for glory this year.

The continent anticipates an electrifying all-North African Derby in this monumental two-legged final. ES Tunis secured their spot after a hard-fought journey, finishing second in the group stage against tough competitors like leaders Petro Atletico Club from Angola, Al Hilal of Sudan, and fellow Tunisian side ES Sahel.

En route to the final, the four-time CAF Champions League winners secured their path by overcoming Ivory Coast’s Assec Mimosa in a penalty shootout and ultimately triumphing over South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns with a decisive 2-0 aggregate scoreline.

Al Ahly, on the other hand, emerged as Group A leaders in the Group Stages, navigating past formidable opponents like Yanga from Tanzania, CR Belouizdad from Algeria, and Medeama SC from Ghana. The 11-time Champions League winners secured their spot in the final by convincingly defeating Simba SC with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline in the quarterfinals and faced a tough challenge against Congolese giants TP Mazembe in the semifinal.

The initial leg in the Congolese capital concluded without goals, but Al Ahly’s seasoned squad clinched victory with a 3-0 scoreline at the Cairo International Stadium in the return fixture.

The initial match of the final, featuring Al Ahly and Es Tunis, is slated for May 18, 2024, while the second match will take place on May 25, 2024.

Story by:David Kwaku Dzaku |universe.ug.edu.gh