Egypt’s Al Ahly beat Raja to claim 8th CAF Super Cup
Gulf Times
Ahly's players celebrate after winning the CAF Super Cup football match between Egypt's Al-Ahly and Morocco's Raja Club Athletic (Raja Casablanca) at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Al Ahly won their eighth CAF Super Cup after edging out Raja Club Athletic 6-5 in a dramatic post-match penalties shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium Wednesday. Raja’s Abdelilah Madkour skied his sudden death penalty to hand Ahly the title, after all the first five shooters had expertly tucked away the penalties.
The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League holders had forced the game into extra time after Mohamed Taher had scored the equaliser at the stroke of 90 minutes, cancelling out Raja’s 13th minute opener. On penalties, both sides were spot on in the first five. Ali Maaloul, Badr Benoun, Percy Tau, Ahmed Radwan and Taher had scored the first five for Ahly while Mohamed Azrida, Zakaria El Wardi, Marouane Hadhoudi, Mahmoud Benhalib and skipper Mohsine Mouataouali had responded for Raja. In sudden death, Akram Tawfik scored the first for Ahly, but Madkour skied his response for Raja.
In regulation, time, Raja broke into the lead in the 13th minute when Ahly defender Yasser Ibrahim turned the ball into his own net in a highly competitive tie.
A swift counter attack by the Green Eagles saw Madkour break through on the right before taking a shot that beat Mohamed Elshenawy in the Ahly goal. Ibrahim’s attempt to cut away the shot only ended in deflecting it into the net. Hamid Ahadad who was following it through ensured it would be a definite goal, though the ball had already crossed the line by the time he was getting a touch on it.
