The Egyptians of Al Ahly are the only ones to have obtained a slight advantage against Simba SC (1-0), during the first leg of the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League which ended on Saturday March 30. TP Mazembe came up against Petro Luanda (0-0), as did Mamelodi Sundowns against Young Africans (0-0) or Esperance Tunis against ASEC Mimosas (0-0).
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Half of the way to the last four is over, and the suspense remains in these quarter-finals! At the end of a first leg that was not very prolific in terms of goals, with only one goal recorded in the four matches played, only the Egyptians of Al Ahly left with a victory while the other three matches all ended in a draw.
It is precisely Al Ahly, the reigning champion of the competition, who opened the ball in these quarter-finals by winning against the Tanzanians of Simba SC, Friday March 29 in Dar es Salaam. The Cairenes did not wait long before opening the score: after a good low cross from Mohamed Hany poorly cleared by Henock Inonga, close to scoring against his side, the Tanzanian goalkeeper worked to push the ball away from his goal line but then could do nothing against the shot from Ahmed Kouka (4th, 0-1), well placed in the area.
If the Tanzanians were not unworthy during the meeting, notably with chances from Clatous Chama and Sadio Kanouté, they came up against the defensive solidity of the Egyptians and Mostafa Shobeir, author of a big match in the absence of Mohamed. El Shenawy. The score did not change until the final whistle, leaving Al Ahly leaving with a success by the smallest of margins and which will allow them to play their qualification for the semi-finals with a slight advantage in front of their home crowd, the April 5 in Cairo.
No winners in the other quarter-finals
At the end of the other quarter-final first leg held on Saturday March 30, TP Mazembe was neutralized at home by Petro Luanda (0-0), despite quick chances from Joel Beya (5th) and Oscar Kabwit (10th). ), both held in check by Hugo Marques. The Congolese could have taken the advantage following a possible handball in the Angolan area (26th), but the referee chose not to award the penalty after checking the VAR. The confrontation then ran out of steam, neither team managing to impose its rhythm despite a lively but far too imprecise Kabwit Tshikomb in front of the cage (49th, 62nd, 64th).
A frustrating draw for the two teams, like the two other matches between Young Africans against Mamelodi Sundowns (0-0) and Esperance Tunis against ASEC Mimosas (0-0), who did not tipped in favor of neither team. Everything will therefore be decided during the return matches, on April 5 and 6, which will reveal the four teams qualified for the last four of the competition.
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