Ahly were held to a goalless draw by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final, leaving the tie finely poised ahead of next week’s return leg in Cairo.
The Egyptian giants, bidding for a third consecutive African title and a record-extending 13th overall, opted for a cautious approach in Pretoria.
Ahly Coach Marcel Koller set his side up in a defensive 5-3-2 formation at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, aiming to frustrate the hosts and capitalize on counterattacks.
Ahly carved out the better chances in a cagey first half. Midfielder Emam Ashour tested Ronwen Williams with a long-range effort early on, before Moroccan defender Achraf Dari came close to breaking the deadlock with a header from a set piece in the 25th minute.
Slovenian forward Nejc Gradisar struck the post just before half-time with a close-range header and later had a goal ruled out for offside in the build-up.
Substitute Achraf Bencharki also found the net after coming on, only for the flag to go up again.
Sundowns, who edged Tunisia’s Espérance in the previous round, struggled to break down Ahly’s disciplined back line and will now face a difficult trip to Cairo for the second leg on Friday.
Ahly booked their semi-final spot with a 2-0 aggregate victory over Al Hilal of Sudan in the quarter-finals, and remain unbeaten in this season’s competition.
Elsewhere, Egyptian Premier League Challengers Pyramids FC were set to face South Africa’s Orlando Pirates on Saturday in the second semi-final, also on South African soil
Source: Al-Ahram Online
