Al Ahly may have reached a fifth CAF Champions League final in six years as they prepare to take on Moroccan rivals Wydad Casablanca on Saturday, but this time round they had to do it the hard way.
They have already faced major foes Mamelodi Sundowns and Raja Casablanca on their path to the decider, and coach Pitso Mosimane has a long and storied history with Wydad, who will have home ground advantage at the Stade Mohammed V.
Mosimane is seeking an unprecedented third victory in a row as coach – and fourth title overall – but there must have been times this season where deep down he wondered if his side could be champions.
There have been some scares, particularly in the pool stages, but the quality and mental fortitude of Mosimane and his players has shone through.
Their campaign began back in October where they faced Niger outfit Union Sportive de la Gendarmerie Nationale (USGN) in the second round, having been handed a bye through the first stage.
It was never expected to be a challenge, but after they only managed a 1-1 away draw in Niamey, there were a few flutters.
But the team responded in emphatic style in the return leg as they claimed a crushing 6-1 victory, which remains the biggest win in the competition this season along with Wydad’s 6-1 success at Ghanian side Hearts of Oak at the same stage.
Mohamed Magdy scored a brace after Mohamed Sherif had opened the scoring, the first of his six goals this campaign that leaves him second on the top scorers’ list, one behind Brazilian Tiago Azulão from Angolan side Petro Atletico.
That result booked a place in the group stage for Mosimane’s men, which they started with an underwhelming 0-0 draw against Sudanese side Al Hilal in Omdurman.
Ahly had actually skipped the first round of pool matches due to their commitments in the Fifa Club World Cup, so this was in fact in the second round of fixtures.
It got worse for them next as they lost 1-0 at home to Mosimane’s former side Sundowns to take a single points from their first two matches. Thapelo Morena got the historic goal for The Brazilians as they claimed a first ever win in Egypt.
Ahly then played their catch-up fixtured from the first round of games, another nervy 3-2 home win over Sudanese side Al Merreikh.
The victory was only secured thanks to an own goal from the visitors’ Mustafa Karshoum in the final 15 minutes after Al Merreikh had battled back from 2-0 down to draw level.
Ahly then travelled to South Africa, where they have never won, and came unstuck again as Sundowns won 1-0 at home to do the ‘Double’ on their rivals. Peter Shalulile got the all-important goal.
It was clear at that stage that Sundowns would win the group, but Ahly still had plenty of work to do to finish in second and qualify for the quarterfinals.
Percy Tau scored early to help them to a 3-1 victory at Al Merreikh that boosted their chances significantly, but they still had to avoid defeat at home to al Hilal to advance.
It was not the most assured performances, but a goal from Hussein El Shahat with 16 minutes remaining secured the win.
Mosimane has always said that the group stages are the entrée and the knockout rounds the main course, and some teams can peak too early.
His side faced a tough battle against Raja in the Last 8, but this is where they shine, able to eke out results when it matters.
They claimed a 2-1 home success in the first leg and then came back from a goal down to equalise in the return in a 1-1 draw. But for Mohamed Abdelmonem’s strike they would have exited on the away goals rule.
They faced surprise semifinalists Entente Sportive Sétifienne in the next stage, the Algerians having ousted more fancied Esperance in the last round.
But there was no way Al Ahly would spurn this opportunity and they romped to a 4-0 first leg win in Cairo, with Percy Tau grabbing a brace as he took his tally for the campaign to three.
It made the second leg essentially a dead rubber, especially when Ahmed Abdel Kader scored early on to lead Setif needing six goals, but Mosimane’s men needed a late goal from Sherif to scramble a 2-2 draw.
It means Al Ahly have won six of their 12 matches on their way to the final, drawing four and losing two. But they will argue they did the business when it mattered most.
SECOND ROUND
USNG 1 (Diori 75) Al Ahly 1 (Maaloul 19’pen)
Al Ahly 6 (Sherif 9′, Magdy 17′, 58′, El Shahat 64′, Kahraba 69′, Fathy 89′) USGN 1 (Hinsa 35’)
Al Ahly won 7-2 on aggregate
GROUP STAGES
Al Hilal 0 Al Ahly 0
Al Ahly 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Morena 85’)
Al Ahly 3 (Sherif 2′, 34′, Karshoum 76’og) Al Merreikh 2 (Edjomariegwe 43′, Saadeldin 69′)
Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Shalulile 23’) Al Ahly 0
Al Merreikh 1 (Agab 60’) Al Ahly 3 (Tau 19′, Sherif 72′, Abdel Kader 73′)
Al Ahly 1 (El Shahat 74’) Al Hilal 0
QUARTERFINALS
Al Ahly 2 (El Solia 13’pen, El Shahat 23′) Raja Casablanca 1 (Zrida 45’)
Raja Casablanca 1 (Ngoma 5’) Al Ahly 1 (Abdelmonem 44’)
Al Ahly won 3-2 on aggregate
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SEMIFINALS
Al Ahly 4 (Tau 30′, 90′, Mohamed 54′, Sherif 72′) ES Setif 0
ES Setif 2 (Kendouci 45′, Benayad 61′) Al Ahly 2 (Abdel Kader 2′, Sherif 90′)
Al Ahly won 6-2 on aggregate
AL AHLY GOALSCORERS
6 goals – Mohamed Sherif
3 – Hussein El Shahat, Percy Tau
2 – Ahmed Abdel Kader, Mohamed Magdy
1 – Mohamed Abdelmonem, Amr El Solia, Hamdy Fathy, Kahraba, Ali Maaloul, Taher Mohamed
Own goal – Mustafa Karshoum (Al Merreikh)