The first leg of the 2024 CAF Champions League match between Al Ahly and Esperance took place in Tunisia. During the game, Karim Fouad and Yan Sasse battled for possession, resulting in a goalless draw. This set the stage for an intense second leg in Cairo on Saturday.
Both teams are fighting for their chance to win the title and secure back-to-back victories. Al Ahly is looking to break their own record of four consecutive wins, while Esperance wants to add another championship to their collection.
This final marks the 15th consecutive year from 2010 that at least one north African club has been a part of the CAF Champions League final. Egypt leads in Champions League victories with 17, while Tunisia boasts six titles.
In previous encounters, Ahly has hosted Esperance 11 times in the Champions League, winning five matches and drawing six. One of their most memorable matches was a 2023 semi-final second leg where Ahly clinched a narrow victory over Esperance with a goal by Hussein el Shahat.
Ahly has been in great form this season, scoring an impressive total of 19 goals in just 13 Champions League matches. Their top scorers have been El Shahat and Kahraba, with five and four goals respectively. In contrast, Esperance has only managed nine goals so far, with Sasse leading the scoring charts with three goals.
If Ahly manages to remain unbeaten after the second leg of this match, they will become history makers by matching their own record set by their 2005 team. Notable players from that team included Essam el Hadary, Wael Gomaa, Mohamed Aboutrika, Mohamed Barakat, and Emad Moteab. On the other hand, Esperance was unbeatable when they were crowned champions in 2019.
The race is on for who will emerge as champions of this highly anticipated match between two north African powerhouses!
