“Al-Ahly Prepares for CAF Champions League Final Rematch Against Wydad”

Suleiman Al-Naqr Books – Sayed Sidqi

Saturday, May 20, 2023 07:11 PM

Al-Ahly is preparing to face Moroccan Wydad in the CAF Champions League final in its current version 2023, in a repeat final for the last version 2022, in which Wydad crowned itself after winning with two clean goals..

Al-Ahly previously met Wydad in the African final twice, in 2017 and 2022, and is preparing for the third confrontation in the current version 2023, where the Moroccan champion won the last two confrontations and won the title at Al-Ahly’s expense.

Al-Ahly qualified for the African final after defeating Tunisia’s Esperance by 4-0 in the aggregate of the two semi-final matches, while Wydad Athletic qualified for the final after a tie with Sun Downs with a score of 2/2 in the aggregate of the two matches, given that the first-leg match in Morocco ended in a goalless draw..

Al-Ahly will meet Moroccan Wydad in the first leg at Cairo Stadium on June 4, and the return match will be held at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, June 11..

Al-Ahly club qualified for the CAF Champions League final for the sixteenth time in its history, after defeating Tunisia’s Esperance, 1-0, scored by Hussein Al-Shahat..

Al-Ahly holds the record for reaching the final of the African Champions League with a score of sixteen times, followed by Zamalek and Taraji with eight times each, then Congolese Mazembe and Ghanaian Kotoko with seven times each, and Guinean Hafia Conakry and Moroccan Wydad with five times each, and Moroccan Raja four times, South Africa’s Sun Downs reached the final twice.

Al-Ahly also reached the final round for the fourth time in a row, after it reached the seasons 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and this season 2022-2023, equaling its previous record by reaching the final round four times in a row in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Al-Ahly achieves the CAF Champions League final four times in a row, except for the Guinean club Havia Conakry, and achieved it once in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978..

Al-Ahly reached the final of the African Champions League years ago:

1982: Al-Ahly won the championship after defeating Kotoko of Ghana in the first leg in Cairo 3-0 and 1-1 in Kumasi..

1983: He met for the second time with Ghanaian Kotoko, and the two teams tied in Cairo without goals, and Kotoko won in Kumasi 1-0.

1987: Al-Ahly won the championship after a draw with Al-Hilal of Sudan in Khartoum without goals, and won Cairo 2-0..

2001: Al-Ahly won the championship after a 1-1 draw with Sun Downs of South Africa in Pretoria, and Cairo won 3-0..

2005: Al-Ahly won the championship after a goalless draw with ES Sahel in Sousse, and a 3-0 victory in Cairo..

2006: Al-Ahly won the championship after a 1-1 draw with Tunisian Sfaxien in Cairo, and a 1-0 victory in Rades..

2007: He met with the Tunisian coastal star, and tied in Sousse without goals, and the coastal star won in Cairo 3-1.

2008: Al-Ahly won the championship after defeating Cameroonian Cotton 2-0 in Cairo, and a 2-2 draw in Garoua..

2012: Al-Ahly won the championship after a 1-1 draw with Tunisian Esperance in Alexandria, and a 2-1 victory in Rades..

2013: Al-Ahly won the championship after drawing with Orlando Pirates of South Africa 1-1 in Johannesburg, and winning Cairo 2-0.

2017: He met with Moroccan Wydad, tied in Alexandria 1-1, and Wydad won in Casablanca 1-0..

2018: It met Tunisian Esperance and Al-Ahly won in Cairo 3-1, and Esperance won in Rades 3-0.

2019-2020: Al-Ahly won the championship after defeating Zamalek in Cairo 2-1.

2020-2021: Al-Ahly won the championship after defeating South African Kaizer Chiefs in Casablanca 3-0.

2021-2022: He met Moroccan Wydad, and Wydad won Casablanca 2-0.

2022-2023: He meets Moroccan Wydad.

Al-Ahly played 27 matches in the CAF Champions League final, winning eleven matches, drawing eleven matches, and losing five matches. Its players scored 35 goals and conceded 21 goals..

The two final round matches are scheduled to take place in early June, the first leg will be held on Sunday, June 4 in Cairo, and the return match will be held on Sunday, June 11, at the winner’s stadium from Wydad and Sun Downs.