Record champions Al Ahly and 2016 winners Mamelodi Sundowns played to a 2-2 thriller in Cairo, as Ahly’s hunt for a maiden Group B victory of the 2022-23 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League continued.
The Egyptian giants, who also lost a penalty, had come from a goal down to lead 2-1, but substitute Thapelo Morena thumped home with 10 minutes left as Masandawana maintained their unbeaten run.
Peter Shalulile gave Sundowns a 1-0 lead at the break, but goals from Mohamed Abdelomonem and Hussein El Shahat in the second half saw Ahly take the lead. But, the Egyptians could not guard a win at home as Sundowns fought for a single point on the road.
Shalulile broke the deadlock for Sundowns in the 34th minute when he stretched to tap home inside the box after a decent cross from the left by Cassius Mailula. Shalulile had a chance to make it 2-0 before the break but he couldn’t keep his head down from an Aubrey Modiba cross.
Ahly didn’t have many open chances, with Aliou Dieng shooting over from close range, while Magdy Afsha also rocketed a half volley over the bar from a Percy tau knockdown.
They came off the breather a more determined lot and just four minutes after the restart they had a chance to score when Tau was fouled inside the box. However, Mohamed Hanny saw his penalty saved by Ronwen Williams.
But, they kept the push and were rewarded in the 59th minute when Abdelmonem finished off Ali Maaloul’s delivery.
They went into the lead in the 74th minute when Elshahat scored a beauty of a goal, twisting and turning from his marker inside the box before slamming a shot past the keeper.
But, their hopes of victory were thwarted six minutes later when Morena scored from inside the box, reacting quickest after Mailula’s shot from the edge of the area came off the post.
With the result, Sundowns remain top of the group with seven points while Ahly picked their first point in two matches.
Raja Club Athletic 2-0 Horoya
Elsewhere in Casablanca, Raja Club Athletic maintained their 100 percent record in the group phase with a well worked 2-0 win over Guinea’s Horoya.
Hamza Khabba’s third goal in as many matches and Naoufel Zerhouni’s beauty late in the second half saw Raja move to nine points with a well deserved victory.
Khjabba scored with three minutes left to the break when he volleyed home from inside the box after picking up a little clipped pass from Jamal Harkass.
Before that, they had some chances with Abdelilah Hafidi having the best, a shot from inside the box which flushed just wide.
Horoya’s clearest aim at goal in the opening 45 was via Alseny Soumah who fired a shot wide from the left after finding some shooting space.
In the second half, Raja completely dominated and they buried the game deep into added time, Zerhouni breaking into the box after some little movement to shake off his marker and sending a thumping shot beyond the goalkeeper.
Source: Confederation of African Football