TotalEnergies CAF Champions League: Defending champions’ tough journey to the final
· Fifth consecutive Final for Al Ahly SC
· Defending champions eyeing record extending 12th title
· One of the best defensive records of the competition
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League reigning champions, Al Ahly SC are on the cusp of extending their record and rubber-stamping their dominance as African club football kings.
The Egyptian giants face formidable Tunisian side, Espérance Sportive De Tunis on Saturday evening in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Final in Tunis, before the return leg in Cairo next Saturday.
The reigning champions head into the clash as the firm favourites with this being their fifth consecutive final in the competition, as they close in on an iconic 12th TotalEnergies CAF Champions League gold medal.
With competition getting tougher in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, the Egyptians had to dig deep and show their championship mettle and discipline with an impressive defensive record that sees them and their fellow finalists boasting the best defensive record of the competition.
CAFOnline takes a look at the defending champions’ journey to the final
Preliminary Round:
Al Ahly easily brushed aside Ethiopian side Saint George SC in the second preliminary stage of the competition with a comfortable 7-0 aggregate scoreline, after a first leg 3-0 away win was followed by a comfortable 4-0 victory in Cairo.
Group Stage
Drawn in a tough Group D consisting of Tanzanian champions Young Africans, Medeama of Ghana as well as Algerian side, CR Belouizdad, it was all to play for in the journey to the knockout stages.
It was not the easiest path out of the group stages for the defending champions who despite not losing a single match, had to settle for a point on three occasions out of the six group fixtures.
They finished top of the group with 12 points from three victories and three draws.
Quarter-Finals
Ahly had to face another Tanzanian powerhouse in Simba AC in the quarter-finals.
In the away tie, the Egyptians grinded out a victory with a narrow 1-0 win in Tanzania before wrapping it up in Cairo with a convincing 2-0 victory to march onto the semi-finals.
Semi-Finals
Faced with a highly determined TP Mazembe side who have since been yearning to end their continental drought, Ahly travelled to Lubumbashi for the first leg which concluded 0-0 after a highly tactical encounter by the two giants and eye-catching acrobatic saves by the in-form Mostafa Shobeir.
With the backing of their home supporters, the reigning champions made light weight of Mazembe, as they cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory to book their place in the final.
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Final
Saturday, 18 May 2024 | Tunis
19h00 GMT | Espérance Sportive de Tunis vs Al Ahly SC
Saturday, 25 May 2024 | Cairo
17h00 GMT | Al Ahly SC vs Espérance Sportive de Tunis