Egyptian giants Al Ahly clinched a record-extending 12th African Champions League title by defeating Esperance 1-0 in the second leg of the final in Cairo.
Following a goalless draw in Tunisia last Saturday, the hosts took an early lead when Rami Rabia’s header from Hussein El Shahat’s corner deflected off Esperance midfielder Roger Aholou and into the bottom right-hand corner.
Wessam Abou Ali hit the side-netting, and Percy Tau narrowly missed the target as Al Ahly sought to extend their lead before halftime. Meanwhile, El Shahat was thwarted by visiting goalkeeper Amanallah Memmiche.
Just after the hour mark, Yan Sasse missed the target for Esperance, and the Tunisian club struggled to create opportunities against a resolute Al Ahly defence.
Substitute Afsha nearly doubled Al Ahly’s advantage in the closing stages, but his free-kick struck the crossbar. Al Ahly then successfully navigated six minutes of added time to secure a 1-0 aggregate win, marking their fourth triumph in five years.
Marcel Koller’s team remained unbeaten throughout this season’s tournament, mirroring the achievement of their 2005 side, with Mostafa Shobeir keeping nine consecutive clean sheets.
The Cairo club extended their unbeaten run in continental competition to 22 games and secured back-to-back Champions League titles for the fourth time.
Both Al Ahly and Esperance had already qualified for FIFA’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup, set to be held in the United States in June and July next year, alongside Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns.