Al Ahly got their CAF Champions League campaign back on track with a hard fought 3-1 win over Al Merrikh at Al-Salaam Stadium in Cairo on Friday night.
Ahly’s goals were scored by Percy Tau, Mohamed Sherif and Ahmed Kader in a match where the Red Eagles dominated possession and they should at least have taken one more goal to the closing stages of the match.
Merrikh’s only goal was scored by Ramadhan Agab on the hour mark after the Al Ahly defence was caught napping.
Al Ahly went into this match sitting second of Group A with four points from three matches following a shock 1-0 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns a week ago but as a result of convincing narrow victory they have increased the chances of making it to the knockout stages.
Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane will be an interested spectator on Saturday afternoon when Al Merrikh host Mamelodi Sundowns in the other match of the group.
Mosimane will be hoping that Sundowns get maximum points in Omdurman so that Al Ahly stay second on the standings with one match of the group remaining before the quarter-final stage.
Al Ahly opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Percy Tau capitalized on Al Merreikh defence lapse o net the first goal of the night from a close-range shot.
Mohamed Magdi was unlucky not to register the second goal on 27th minute as his close range shot rebounded off the outstretched legs of Monged Abuzaid for the opener.
Al Merrikh had a few chances in the match with the closest coming before the break through Tony Edjomariegwe, whose close range effort was saved by Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy.
In the second half, the Sudanese side started on a high note and they leveled the matters on the hour mark through Ramadan Agab after El-Shenawy punched a shot from Hussien Nooh Mohamed right into his path.
Al Ahly restored their lead in the 72nd minute when Sheriff finished off Ali Maaloul’s cross with a first time shot.
Second later, second-half substitute Ahmed Abdel Kader placed the result beyond Al Merreikh reach when he finished a beautiful run by dribbling in and scoring with some delightful finish.
Al Ahly will be in action again in the Champions League on April 1 away to Al Hilal Omdurman while Mamelodi Sundowns will host El Merrikh.
How they lined up:
Al- Merreikh: Monged Abuzaid – Mostafa Karshoum, Salaheddine Nemer, Hamza Daoud, Bakhit Khames – Mohamed Al-Rashid, Ammar Taifour, Nooh Mohamed (Augustine Otu78), Elsemmany Saadeldin – Tony Edjomariegwe, Ramadan Ajab
Ahly: Mohamed Al-Shennawi – Mohamed Hany (Karim Fouad 55), Mohamed Abdel Moneim, Yasser Ibrahim, Ali Maaloul – Hamdi Fathi (Ayman Ashraf 84), Amr Solaya, Mohamed ‘Afsha’ Magdi (Aliou Deing 84), Hussein El-Shahat (Ahmed Abdel Kader 62), Percy Tau (Taher Mohamed 46) – Mohamed Sherif
