CAF CL: Advantage Al Ahly As Pedro de Luanda Snatch Vital Win Over Sundowns

CAF CL: Advantage Al Ahly As Pedro de Luanda Snatch Vital Win Over Sundowns 

By Oluwayemi Omolagba

Holders Al Ahly continue their title defence with a slim advantage over North African rival Raja Club Athletic in the first leg of the 2021/22 CAF Champions League Quarterfinal played in Cairo, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

In the match played Al Salam Stadium in Cairo on Saturday night, first half goals from Amr El Solia and Hussein El Shahaat gave Ahly an early advantage, with Mohamed Zrida halving the deficit for the visitors.

Al Ahly would have won by a bigger margin, but had Amr El Solia miss a second half penalty.

Meanwhile, Petro de Luanda survived what looked like a late equalizer from Mamelodi Sundowns as they held on to beat the South African outfit 2-1 and earn a first leg advantage in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League quarter final duel in Luanda on Saturday.

Sundowns scored in the fourth minute of added time, Neo Maema curling a brilliant ball into the top left corner. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR, after referee Janny Sikazwe visited the pitch-side monitor to chalk off the goal for a foul in the build up.

Elsewhere, ten-man Wydad pick slim victory over CR Belouizdad in Algiers.

Despite playing more than 83 minutes of the match with a man less, two-time winners Wydad Athletic Club beat home side CR Belouizdad 1-0 in the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League quarter final encounter on Saturday.

Guy Mbenza scored 19 seconds into the second half and despite seeing only 25pc of the possession in the game, Wydad had the job done to give them an advantage heading into next weekend’s return tie in Casablanca.

The Moroccan giants had to finish the match with 10 men after Jalal Daoudi was sent off just seven minutes into the match following a VAR intervention. But Wydad managed the numerical handicap to clinch victory.