Atlas Lions first to arrive in Kenya for TotalEnergies CAF CHAN 2024
Morocco aim for war Image credit CAFonline
Two-time champions Morocco have become the first team to arrive for the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), setting the tone for what promises to be an electrifying tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, CAFonline reports.
The Atlas Lions landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at 4:00 am local time on Monday morning, receiving a vibrant East African welcome complete with traditional dancers and music.
The North African giants, aiming to become the first country to win the CHAN title three times, are wasting no time in getting acclimatized as they begin their final preparations for the tournament opener.
“We are excited to be here and ready for CHAN. I already love Nairobi; the weather is great, and we are looking forward to a successful tournament,” said defender Marouane Louadni, who plays his club football for AS FAR.
Morocco’s early arrival signals intent as the two-time winners look to dominate Group A, which includes hosts Kenya, DR Congo, Angola, and Zambia. They begin their campaign on Sunday against Angola at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Continental Pedigree
Winners in 2018 on home soil and again in 2021 in Cameroon, Morocco are one of only two nations to have lifted the CHAN trophy twice — the other being DR Congo, whom they will face in the group stage.
Their pedigree and depth of talent make them strong favourites in a group stacked with experienced sides.
Atlas Lions arrive Kenya with hunger to win Image credit CAFonline
The 28-man Moroccan squad underwent an intensive training camp prior to departure, facing Burkina Faso twice in friendly matches and comfortably beating Chad 6-0 during the most recent FIFA international window.
Their build-up underscores a team well-prepared both physically and tactically.
Nairobi Braces for Historic Kick-off
With less than a week to go before the tournament kicks off, excitement is surging in Nairobi. CAF and the LOC have already rolled out ticketing protocols, and fans across the capital are gearing up to witness one of the biggest sporting events ever staged in Kenya.
The TotalEnergies CHAN 2024, which runs from 2–30 August, is exclusively reserved for players who compete in their respective national leagues, offering a platform for homegrown talent to shine on the continental stage.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will host matches across various venues, showcasing East Africa’s growing capacity to organize major football tournaments and providing a crucial test run ahead of their co-hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Morocco arrival in Nairobi, Kenya Image credit CAFonline
Group A Arrivals to Continue
Following Morocco’s early arrival, the rest of Group A’s cast is expected to follow shortly.
Zambia are expected to arrive in Nairobi on Tuesday, while Angola and DR Congo are scheduled to touch down on Thursday afternoon.
As the first team on the ground, Morocco will be hoping to translate their head start into a third title — a feat that would etch them further into CHAN history.
For winning the 2024 WAFCON tournament, Nigeria became the inaugural winners of Confederation of African Football (CAF) newly unveiled Women’s African Cup of Nations championship (WAFCON) on Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is also $1, 200 000 (one million two hundred thousand US Dollars) richer for Super Falcons 3-2 winning feat over Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses in Saturday’s final of the tournament.
For defeating Morocco’s senior women’s side in the WAFCON 2024 final encounter, the Nigerian Women’s team swelled their federations coffers by $1, 000 000 (one million US Dollars). Nigeria’s Women’s national team made an extra $200.000 (two hundred UD Dollars for qualifying for the quarter final from their group play.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) went home with a total prize money of $700.000 as runners up of the 2024 WAFCON tournament and made another $200.000 (two hundred thousand US dollars for making it to the quarter final from group play.
Third placed Ghana Black Queens took home the total of $550.000 for their WAFCON 2024 efforts. Broken down into $350.000 (three hundred and fifty thousand US Dollars) from defeating South Africa in their 3rd place encounter as well as pocketing another $200.000 (two hundred thousand US Dollars) for making it out of Group rounds to the quarter final, the Black Queens helped increase the Ghana Football Association (GFA) coffers monetarily.
For placing fourth, Bayana Bayana fetched the South African Football Association (SAFA) $300.000 (three hundred thousand US Dollars) and earned their federation another $200.000 (two hundred thousand US Dollars) for their quarter final berth from the group stages.
Before the championship, CAF increased the Prize Money of the Winner of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2024 by 100% and the total Prize Money of the Competition by 45%.
When announcing the increase, President of CAF, Dr Patrice Motsepe said: “CAF is continuing with its commitment to the development and growth of Women’s Football in Africa.
According to CAF: “The 100% increase in the Prize Money of the Winner of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2024 and the 45% total increase in the Prize Money of the Competition should contribute to the increase of the salaries of Women Football players, coaches and employees.
“The quality and standard of Women’s Football in Africa is consistently improving and is world class.
“We are excited about the substantial increase in the number of fans, broadcasting viewers and sponsors in the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2024. This Competition is going to be enormously successful.”
The participating National Teams in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (“WAFCON”) Morocco 2024 will receive:
Winner: USD 1 000 000
Runner up: USD 500 000
Third place: USD 350 000
Fourth place: USD 300 000
Quarter-finalists (4 Teams): USD 200 000 for each Team
3rd of the group: USD 150 000
4th of the group (3 Teams): USD 125 000 for each Team
Morocco’s football goddess focused on creating her own legacy
Another Golden Boots award for Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak Image Credit: CAFonline
By Ed Emeanua
She is a woman. She is 34-years-old. Most think she’s already well past her prime. But who cares? She’s a late bloomer on the rise and very focused on creating her own history.
Her name is Ghizlane Chebbak, captain extraordinaire of Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses, who is busy these days creating her own legacy and making sure that her name will never be forgotten.
She already commands a folklore image of sort in her native Morocco, but Chebbak’s name and reputation transcends her nations boundaries. The rise of Morocco’s Women’s football cannot be separated from the breakout from obscurity of the Atlas Lionesses skipper to the spotlight of world football.
Morocco reached their first ever final in Women’s football On 26 April, 2006 at the 2006 Arab Women’s Championship, with a 4–2 win over Egypt in the semi-final and falling 1-0 to Algeria in the final.
The Atlas Lionesses made their first appearance on the WAFCON stage after 2006 by virtue of being picked as hosts of the 2022 edition of the tournament. The team has managed a meteoric rise going from a totally unknown footballing nation in the Women’s game to making back-to back WAFCON final appearances.
The Atlas Lionesses has also tucked in a World Cup knockout-phase accomplishment within that time frame. Conspicuous in the lofty rise and transformation of Morocco’s Women’s football is the effervescent personality of Chebbak, the Atlas Lionesses’ inspirational leader.
The Atlas Lionesses is perhaps no stranger to the game, having been surrounded by the allure and success of football from birth. Larbi Chebbak, her father, also played for Morocco and was part of the 1976 Atlas Lions team that captured the nation’s only African Cup of Nation (AFCON) title.
In a culture that defied Women participation in sports, least of all football, Larbi, by his involvement gave her daughter his blessing to pursue her dreams. She has done just that and more.
With her tremendous skills, personality, and incredible leadership, Chebbak has led Morocco’s Women’s national football team into hearts in her nation. With her inspirational leadership, the Atlas Lionesses has converted even diehard deviants into breaking the cultural mold for the sake of national fervor.
This was evidenced on July 26, 2025, when with only 13 minutes spent, the crowd jam packing the 21,000-capacity filled Olympic Stadium in Rabat and venue of Saturday’s final game of the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) championship, roared into life and celebration.
They had every cause for jubilation. Atlas Lionesses has just shot into a gallant beginning. Their mercurial captain has done it again. As usual, Chebbak has led the charge for her side by scoring the first goal of the 2024 WAFCON final game against Nigeria with a breathtaking shot from well outside the box.
Rifling her curling strike just low enough to ensure that the scudding missile eluded the diving length of Nigeria’s awesome goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, the Atlas Lionesses captain has aroused a national sports support base known for national fervor. “Cheb-bak! Cheb-bak! Cheb-bak!” they roared in appreciation of their beloved team and skipper.
The sublime strike marked her fifth goal of the championship, separating her from only Senegal’s Nguenar Ndiaye, with whom she was jointly tied on 4 strikes before the epic final game with Nigeria. It was also enough to earn her Golden Boots winner of the 2024 WAFCON tournament.
Chebbak continues her streak of milestones never slacking from where she left off after the last WAFCON championship.
By her feats at the just concluded 2024 WAFCON, the Atlas Lionesses captain thus catapults herself into joint two-time winner of the WAFCON Golden Boots (2022, 3 goals) and 2024, 5 goals) with only Genoveva Añonman of Equatorial Guinea (2008, 6 goals) and 2012, 6 goals).
Both are bested by only Perpetua Nkwocha of Nigeria, a 4-time winner of the WAFCON Golden Boot award (2002, 4 goals), (2004, 9 goals), (2006 7 goals), and (2010,11 goals).
However, by winning the 2022 and 2022 Golden Boot title, Chebbak becomes the second women to win the award consecutively tying only Nkwocha of Nigeria, who won the WAFCON Golden Boot award 3 times consecutively in 2002, 2004, and 2006.
Nigeria’s midfielder Perpetua Nkwocha and Frances defender Ophelie Meilleroux vie for the ball Image credit: Getty Image
Chebbak is also WAFCON Best Player (Golden Ball) award winner in 2022 although she ceded the title to Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria who carted home the prize at the recently concluded WAFCON 2024.
Chebbak (2022) also joins Nkwocha (2004) and Añonman (2012) as the only women to have won both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards on the same stage and at the same tournament.
AFC Toronto forward powers Super Falcons WAFCON 2024 ‘Mission X’to fruition with her sweet left foot
Nigeria accomplishes “Mission X” at the 2024 WAFCON Championship in Morocco Image credit: cafonline
By Ed Emeanua
Nine-time past champions Nigeria was always going to be considered major threat for titlist at the just concluded 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) championship with the formidable South Africa defending.
Certainly, not after Super Falcons had characteristically publicly stated their lack of illusion over the opposition against their bold intentions at the championship well before its commencement. Nigeria adopted the mantra “Mission X” for the championship with Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie stating on arrival to Morocco that: “We’re here to take home what is rightfully ours.”
Hosts Morocco was just one of the dangerous floaters for the title, with other dark horses in Zambia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, and Tunisia, also with similar ambitions. The stage was set for an epic battle for the diadem with twelve contenders in the fray.
When all was said and done, it was mission accomplished once again for the Super Falcons of Nigeria. Africa’s most successful Women’s national team waltzed through to an inspired 3–2 comeback win over hosts Morocco to capture the brand new WAFCON cup on first try.
The victory is Nigeria’s tenth in the editions, which the nation’s women’s side achieved on Saturday night at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, where AFC Toronto forward Esther Okoronkwo clearly emerged as the star of her nation’s WAFCON 2024 story.
Who would have thought the 28-year-old forward the likeliest to turn fate around in such a high stakes encounter when all the chips were down against the Nigerians, with her team 2-0 under water amidst a stadium packed to the brim with over-zealously ecstatic Moroccans spurring the Atlas Lionesses on?
Esther Ijeoma Okoronkwo Woman of the Match
Least of all, Okoronkwo has been dwarfed by the presence of versatile striker and six-time CAF African Women’s player of the year awardee, Asisat Oshoala, in the Nigerian team.
So too was team captain and Atletico Madrid forward Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, a two-time CAF African goalkeeper of the year winner taller in repute than Okoronkwo in the Super Falcons side.
Credit: cafonline
However, it was the AFC Toronto star who rose taller to bail out her sinking team with their sails twice broken by a buoyed Atlas Lionesses in the first half of the epic final game.
Okoronkwo’s emergence as a Super Falcons leader has been gradual and steady. She earned her Nigeria senior debut in a friendly on June 10, 2021, against The Reggae Girlz of Jamaica and scored her first international goal in a 2022 WAFCON qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan, helping her nation to a 1-0 away win and championship qualification.
The Abia State born talent made Nigeria’s 23-woman team to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Nigeria Summer Olympics squad, becoming a mainstay in the national team setup.
Morocco roared to a gallant start in the 21,000-capacity filled venue and shot into the lead with only 13 minutes into the tie. Atlas Lionesses mercurial captain Ghizlane Chebbak led the charge for her side by scoring the first goal with a breathtaking shot from outside the box, rifling her curling strike low to elude the diving length of goalkeeper Nnadozie.
Jorge Vilda’s side then upped the ante with another strike in the 21st minute with Sanaâ Mssoudy stretching Atlas Lionesses’ lead. Mssoudy’s goal came off a clever Ibtissam Jraidi slipped-in pass to Mssoudy in space, allowing the sleek Moroccan winger enough room to make a measured bottom right finish.
Astounded, Nigeria went into the break down by two goals and licking their wounds. But Justin Madugu’s heroines returned from half-time break full of determination and much eagerness to make a response,
Okoronkwo took charge after a VAR review handed Nigeria a hitherto elusive opening against a well rehashed Moroccan resilience led by center back Nouhaila Benzina after the hour mark. Cruelly, VAR held Benzina culprit for the handball incident in the penalty call, allowing Okoronkwo to score from the spot and halving Morocco’s lead in the 64th minute.
Rather than being dissipated by providence, the Super Falcons were energized by the chance of fate. Six minutes later, Okoronkwo ran rings around a handful of Moroccan opposition maneuvering her way into the opponent’s eighteen yard box before turning into a provider after kneading the ball through to a well-positioned Folashade Ijamilusi, who threaded the ball beneath stranded goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi and into the bottom corner drawing Nigeria level on 2 goals apiece.
With just 2 minutes left on the clock, Nigeria scored the winner when Okoronkwo sweet left footed delivery off a freekick assisted Jennifer Echegini to calmly redirect the ball into the far right corner of Er-Rmichi’s net in the 88th minute, completing a famous comeback in a WAFCON final game.
Echegini Jennifer Onyinyechi of Nigeria celebrates her goal during the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final match between Morocco and Nigeria Image credit: cafonline
Okoronkwo’s heroics at the final game establishes her as one of Nigeria’s standout stars at the 2024 WAFCON. Her sweet left foot became increasingly effervescent from the quarterfinals stage of the tournament when she scored once and twice assisted her teammates to find the net in Nigeria’s 5-0 mauling of gusty Zambia.
However, her best game was served out at the final event where Okoronkwo unsheathed and then thrust her dagger into the hearts of Moroccans, ensuring the remarkable brevity to their enduring vociferous support.
It was a game where the Nigerian forward marshaled out a well-crafted rendition of superlative football artistry which saw her putting away a sublimely taken spot kick, providing a breathtaking assist for Ijamilusi’s leveler at 2-2, and teeing up Echegini to score the winning goal off a supremely taken free kick. Okoronkwo’s inspiration was truly the difference in Super Falcons’ dramatic 3-2 comeback domination over Morocco and their accomplishment of “Mission X” at WAFCON 2024.
Okoronkwo picked up Player of the Match award for her brilliance, while Nnadozie emerged Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Chebbak won the championship’s highest goal scorer award.
Rasheedat Ajibade picked up the Player of the Tournament title for her brilliance all through the championship.
Fabrizio Romano’s hype of Napoli striker’s move to Istanbul sets ‘X’ buzzing
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – NOVEMBER 7: Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray celebrates victory during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Galatasaray A.S. and Tottenham Hotspur at Rams Park on November 7, 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images) Facebook
By Ed Emeanua
Fabrizio Romano’s latest hype of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen’s belated move to Galatasaray S.K as a possibility has sent ‘X‘ formerly known as Twitter buzzing.
The football transfer news expert posted on his ‘X’ handle that both Napoli and Galatasaray are now on the same page on the move, with the key words in his post: “here we go soon!” seeming to have ignited the beehive with buzzing responses from various quarters.
His attitude lately was off, but that club TikTok mocking him? Completely unnecessary too. Osimhen and Napoli both ruined what could’ve been a graceful goodbye. Still, thanks for the unforgettable moments champ. We move
Twice, Egyptian side Pyramids Football Club have mercilessly thrust their knife right where two South African clubs’ hearts used to be. Both times, ‘The Heirs of the Pharaohs’ have also managed to achieve their gruesome feats at the death. All these have also happened in the current edition of the African Champions League’s where the Egyptians continue to be a study in resilience against South African foes.
For the South African fan, here are some very charitable words of wisdom: If you’re a bully, treat ’em good. And, if you’re a chucky, nobody chucks ‘pon ’em. Meaning don’t mess with Egypt’s Pyramids. Yeah!
Over the weekend in South Africa, that lesson was well learnt as the gritty Pyramids pulled level with just four minutes before stoppage time to take an eye popping 1-1 hard fought draw from Pretoria to Cairo. It is the first leg of the African Champions League final on Saturday.
With the away goals rule still in play in African club events; the advantage now goes to the Club from New Cairo through the exploits of Walid El Karti’s headed goal from the far post after a stoic flourish to the exchanges at Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Pyramids continue to showcase a knack for last minute heroics against South African opponents in the current African Champions League. At the semi-final stage, the Egyptian side that was once-upon-a-time in North Africa simply known as Al Assiouty Sport at its formative year in 2008, also shattered expectations while breaking South African hearts in their dismissal of Orlando Pirates from the bash.
That time, The Heirs of the Pharaohs also stalemated the first leg of their semi-final against Pirates in a 0-0 tie in Johannesburg before winning the reverse fixture 3-2 at their base in Cairo. Congolese forward Fiston Mayele was the star of the story of Pirates’ 2025 Champions League semi-final epitaph.
After the visitors had twice shot into the lead in Egypt, and for the records, scoring their second goal with just six minutes remaining, Pyramids’ thirty-year-old Congolese forward decided to take took matters into his hands by latching onto a loose ball inside the box from a corner kick to score the winner.
The Egypt side has achieved the repeat of their heart-breaking feat against a South African club amidst showcasing a remarkable resiliency in today’s first leg event of the final games of the championship. Sundowns shot into their 54th minute lead through the Brazilian, Lucas Ribeiro’s sublime left-footed bender off an awry Pyramids defensive evacuation that fell kindly for prolific goalscoring midfielder.
Yet, the initial happenings in the tie were in line with general anticipation which clearly, favored the South African side as the clear favorites before the game against Pyramids, a side that was only taking part in their second Champions League competition.
But the persistent press by the visitors continued to rattle a host with an overrated belief that their Fort’s high-altitude advantage is more than enough impetus to curtail the force of the fleet-footed challengers from North Africa.
Sundowns, who were Champions League winners in 2016, had a first-half chance to score quashed by the ever-present super goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy save of Iqraam Rayner’s’ glorious effort. Yet, the Egyptians’ counter forays up field continued to unfurl fleets, if not troves of flaws in Sundown’s less than impressive backline.
All the same, Pyramids were forced to endure till almost the last action of the encounter when Mohamed Hamdy’s cross from the left was not prevented from bobbing in the box by Sundowns’ lethargic defense line, allowing the ball to hurtle on beyond them to the far post for the lurking El Karti to score.
Sundowns must now wait for the return leg at Cairo’s Air Defense Stadium on Sunday, June 1, to take their chances at a reprieve. But it is highly doubtful.
Eric Chelle adds his long-sought German bomber to his Super Eagles fleet
Felix Agu of Bremen in action during the Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt at Weserstadion on April 05, 2025, in Bremen, Germany. Photo by Stuart Franklin. Source: Getty Images
His last name translates to ‘Tiger’ in Nigeria’s Igbo dialect. Literally, both the German Football Association (DFB) and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) may have unknowingly unleashed a young beast, setting free the roaring feline to roam freely with Nigeria’s senior national team, according to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Felix Agu has been allowed to play for the Super Eagles by FIFA and Germany. According to the NFF, this has been achieved following Germany’s DFB confirmation to the World football body that the Germany born player whose parents are of Nigerian descent, can represent his Fatherland.
“Felix Nnaemeka Agu confirmed ok to play for Nigeria’s @NGSuperEagles” the NFF announced on their official X account.
“The German FF have written to confirm that the player has never represented them at any official game at the A and Junior level.
“Played (Agu) only 2 friendly games for the U21 team in 2019. Welcome Felix”!
This also means that Nigeria boss Eric Chelle, has now realized his wish of having his long-sought ‘German Bomber’ within fingertip for inclusion in his modest and poor-spirited Super Eagles fleet.
The Super Eagles blame their misfiring defensive setup for the side’s Achilles heels in recent loss of form.
In Nigeria’s last five games, a 0-0 stalemate against arch-rivals Ghana Black Stars in an Africa Cup of Nations (ANC) qualifier on December 28, 2024, and a 2-0 away victory against Rwanda in a CAF World Cup (CWC) qualifying play on March 21, 2025, are the Super Eagles only clean slates since November.
Before then, the Super Eagles had uncannily surrendered a goal lead against visitors Rwanda, going on to end the game with a painful loss against the Amavubi in a home tie in the Africa Cup of Nations (ACN) qualifier on November 18, 2024.
The Home-based assemblage of the Super Eagles, despite defeating their Local Black Stars setup 3-1 in the reverse fixture of their ANC game on home turf, still managed to maintain their enduring poor defensive legacy of inability to maintain a clean sheet in recent games.
Perhaps, the most glaring of the Super Eagles’ defensive frailties occurred in Nigeria’s insipid showing against the Zimbabwe Warriors in a CWC qualifier before an expectant home crowd at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on March 25, 2025.
After huffing and puffing to a lone goal lead off a header by prolific goalscoring forward Victor Osimhen against a well-organized Warriors defense-minded side, Nigeria still managed to contrive a surrender of the priceless advantage at almost the last kick before stoppage time.
Chelle, Nigeria’s newly appointed national team selector later identified as a priority a need to add sterner personnel to the defensive setup of his side in hopes of fortifying the Super Eagles’ uninspiring defense and stemming the team’ fast cascading downward spiral into ambivalence.
With such defensive talents lacking domestically, the Malian born Nigeria manager has seen fit to take his search outside the country’s shores where he now hopes to lure talented Nigerian footballers born into the diaspora to the national team.
Their inclusion is intended by the new manager to riffle competition within the team and add needed ounces of muscle to the side’s qualities to achieve the overall new national project of making the Super Eagles great again.
Chelle has consistently expressed his fondness for Agu, the Bundesliga Werder Bremen’s fullback, and has already added Germany born defender to the fold in the upcoming Unity Cup friendlies in London well ahead securing his clearance to play for Nigeria.
A grateful Nigeria fanbase can only keep fate and hope that the newly unleashed German bomber set to arrive Chelle’s camp in London next week, will help right the course of the Super Eagles’ wobbling and fumbling defense.
Who wins bragging right as first team in Africa to take home the glittering brand-new CAF Champions League Trophy?
By Ed Emeanua
Beginning from today, ready or not, you can’t’ hide, Africa must find and crown the first winners of the glittering, brand-new CAF, TotalEnergies champions league trophy.
When the dust of this footballing reverie that is slated to stretch over a day more than a week settles, the finalists-Mamelodi Sundowns and Pyramids-are set for a historic reality check as the 2024-2025 joust for the Africa champions league competition comes to an epic climax.
The CAF Champions League final will be played over two legs. The first is billed for the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa on Saturday, May 24, 2025, while the second leg comes up on June 1, 2025, at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
At stake is more than just who wins the battle and as such, some image lifting bragging rights. The stakes cannot be higher coming at the eve of CAF and TotalEnergies’ decision to introduce the allure of one of the teams being called the winner of the new trophy added to the bargain.
These two befitting remnants of gladiators in the continent’s prime and most glamorous club championship must now focus on settling their sporting contentions first in South Africa, then in Egypt. Fame will surely search out whom to bestow upon this historic favor of being called the winner of the freshly minted trophy. When all is said and done today at Mamelodi Sundowns’ Loftus Versfeld Stadium where the South African club hosts the first leg in Johannesburg, the picture of who’s favored and who is not could begin to emerge.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ Brazilian attacking midfielder, Lucas Ribeiro, is very capable of turning heads. He equally has the enviable ability for redirecting historic favors to his Bafana baStyle enclave. So too can Congolese Fiston Mayele of Pyramids potentially turn around the hands of time and forge out a winner from the hitherto unenviable also-ran casting of Egypt’s modest ‘The Heirs of Pharaohs’ club side in today’s CAF Champions League final first leg billed for Pretoria.
The 26-year-old Brazilian has now found the net the total of 16 times in today’s South Africa highly competitive Premier League setup, even striking the mark twice last weekend alone to end his long-suffering mid-season goal scoring meltdown. The South American has also helped Sundowns to a record-stretching eighth unbroken South African league championships on the trot. In so doing, the Brazilian has successfully positioned himself as clear favorite for the Premier Soccer League’s Golden Boot winner.
Mayele, 30, has already shown he’s got a back fortified with a tough-as-nail hard bark in the manner he broke South Africans’ hearts in the Pyramid’s semi-final’s destruction of Orlando Pirates. Having stalemated the first leg against Pirates 0-0 in Johannesburg during the first leg, ‘The Heirs of Pharaohs’ then marched on to the finals by winning the reverse fixture 3-2 in New Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.
But it was the visitors who shot into the lead twice in Egypt during the second leg, including scoring their second goal with just six minutes left on the clock. It took only the special talents of the Pyramids’ Congolese resources to bail out the cat from the dungeons after latching onto a loose ball inside the box from a well delivered corner kick to score the winner.
As Red Devils book semi-final showdown with Sundowns
Al Ahly showed sterner pedigree harnessing a semi-finals showdown with Sundowns in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League by posting another win over Al Hilal in a 1-0 second-leg triumph at the Sheikh Bedia Stadium, Nouakchott, Tuesday sunset.
The first leg in Cairo ended by a similar scoreline, as the reigning champions again posted a commanding display in the reverse play to secure an emphatic 2-0 total win over the Blue Jewel.
The Red Devils’ midfielder Imam Ashour consistency again showed as he again scored the decisive goal this time in the 80th minute.
The victory paves the way for the Egyptians to their 21st Champions League semi-final appearance and a sensational sixth in a row at that–also setting the stage for a collision with usual adversaries Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa for a promising must-see clash.
Edgy opener in Nouakchott
The match in Nouakchott, Mauritania opened on a tender footing for both teams, but with a determined will to carry the day, as the combatants jousted for midfield sway. Swiss coach Marcel Koller, appeared the more inclined to enforce his football philosophy with his Egyptian team in the early minutes.
The Al Ahly press led to an unforced error by the home team in the 9th minute as the visitor’s Slovenian forward Nijk Gradishar latched onto a skewered pass to let fly a scorching shot but Ivorian goalkeeper Issa Fofana saved for the Blue Jewel.
A knock on Imam Ashour in an aerial fray soon showed that the home team had set their target on the man who had been instrumental to their first leg capitulation in Cairo.
However, the 30-year-old forward re-engineered promptly and remained troublesome all game long.
Al Ahly created a great opportunity in the 34th minute, but a low cross eluded both Gradishar and Wissam Abu Ali and went begging.
Ashour’s thunderous shot from distance minutes later was rebuffed by Fofana, while Al Hilal returned the favor just before half-time when a low cross into the box only coerced some level of agitation within the visitor’s box before being booted clear.
Ashour finds the target late to secure the victory
In the second half, The Blue Jewel surged forward with added vigor. Evidently, their clearest chance presented in the 64th minute with winger Ahmed Salem going through on a one-on-one with Mohamed El Shenawy, but was turned down by the rock-steady Egypt goalkeeper.
The African champions remained resilient and found the breakthrough ten minutes before game time was called.
Substitute Taher Mohamed Taher then plied in a well placed cross into the box, allowing Ashour to find the mark.
Al Ahly stood their ground despite home team’s closing forays and eight minutes of added time. But it was Ahmed Reda who came close to increasing the scoreline in injury time, but Fofana’s lightening-quick reaction kept the scoreline somewhat close.
Epic showdown with Sundowns awaits
The champions must now turn their focus to an epic semi-final showdown against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, who in turn weathered the storm of Esperance de Tunis in their own testy quarter-final play.
The familiar foes have created a volatile rivalry in recent seasons, and their promising clash is set to draw continental eyes to their event again.
