Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt will face perennial rivals Esperance of Tunisia in the African Champions League final after winning their semifinals on Friday.
Al Ahly, who have won five of the last seven editions and a record 11 titles, comfortably overcame Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Cairo, while Esperance pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria.
The final will be a highly anticipated encounter between two of the continent’s most successful teams, with Al Ahly seeking to extend their dominance and Esperance looking to claim their fifth Champions League title.
The first leg will be hosted by Esperance on May 19, with the return leg in Cairo seven days later.
Al Ahly’s victory over Mazembe was marked by a dominant performance, with goals from Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, Wessam Abou Ali, and Akram Tawfiq securing a 3-0 win.
Meanwhile, Esperance’s 20-year-old defender Raed Bouchniba scored the decisive goal in their 1-0 win over Sundowns, which was delayed by 70 minutes due to a lightning strike that knocked out some of the floodlights.
Sundowns, who won the new African Football League this season, were one of the favorites for the Champions League but fell short of the final for the eighth season in a row.
Esperance’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich produced fine saves to secure the win, which also earned them a place in next year’s Club World Cup in the US.
