African football giants Al Ahly of Egypt have extended their record-breaking streak of not conceding a goal in the CAF Champions League to an incredible 1,080 minutes, as they advanced to the group stage with a 6-0 aggregate victory over Gor Mahia.
The 12-time CAF Champions League winners triumphed 3-0 over their Kenyan visitors in Cairo on Saturday, mirroring the scoreline from the first leg. Ahly’s defensive dominance has been a standout feature of their campaign, with their last goal conceded dating back to December 2023, when Young Africans of Tanzania netted a last-minute equaliser in Dar es Salaam.
That late goal remains the only one Ahly conceded en route to their 2024 CAF Champions League title. With back-to-back titles already under their belt, the Cairo-based club now have their sights set on an unprecedented third consecutive championship triumph, a feat no team, not even their revered 2005-2008 squad, has achieved.
In Saturday’s match, Gor Mahia, trailing 3-0 from the first leg, managed to hold off Ahly’s attacks for 22 minutes before Ramy Rabia broke the deadlock with a looping header from a corner. Wessam Abou Ali doubled the lead in the 54th minute, and substitute Taher Mohamed sealed the comfortable victory with a goal in added time, sending Ahly confidently into the 16-club group stage, set to begin in October.
Elsewhere, Tunisian side Esperance, who narrowly lost the 2024 final to Ahly, were in devastating form, routing Somalia’s Dekedaha 8-0, completing a 12-1 aggregate victory. Algerian Youcef Belaili led the charge with a hat-trick, while Brazilian Yan Sasse and Gambian Kebba Sowe also found the back of the net, with four goals in each half.
Despite their dominance, Esperance fell short of breaking the record for the largest winning margin in a CAF Champions League match, which stands at 10 goals, held jointly by Morocco’s Difaa el Jadida and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
Young Africans of Tanzania, tipped by many as potential title challengers, delivered a clinical performance, scoring three late goals to finish off Commercial Bank of Ethiopia 6-0 on aggregate. Burkina Faso international Stéphane Aziz Ki netted a hat-trick, while Zambian Clatous Chama added to the tally.
In another match, Sundowns secured their place in the group stage with a 4-0 second-leg victory over Eswatini’s Mbabane Swallows, matching their first-leg result. Meanwhile, fellow South African side Orlando Pirates left it late to defeat Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy 1-0, with Monnapule Saleng scoring deep into stoppage time to complete a 3-0 aggregate win.