Africa has a new champion: Egypt?s Al-Ahly claim CAF title

Like the rest of Egypt?s teams, Al-Ahly hasn?t played a domestic match since the Port Said tragedy, where rioting at a Feb. 2 soccer match in the Egyptian port city let to the deaths of 74?spectators. Al-Ahly, one of Egypt?s clubs, were facing Al-Masry that day, with players and coaches left scrambling to escape as Masry supporters surged onto the field.

In March, security concerns forced the country?s soccer federation to cancel the remainder of the Premier League season. Egypt hasn?t played since. (They?re now scheduled to resume play in December).

Since February, the only soccer seen by Al-Ahly and Zamalek (Egypt?s other big club) has been in African Champions League. Both teams played their way through initial rounds and into this summer?s eight-team group stage where the Cairo-based rivals were grouped together with former champions TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Ghanians Berekum Chelsea.

While Zamalek stumbled, Al-Ahly finished at the top of the group, their only loss coming in DR Congo. Three matches later, and the Egyptians found themselves in Tunis, facing continental power Esperance one week after a 1-1 draw in Alexandria swung momentum in the CAF Champions League final toward the Tunisians.

But as any cynic would note, momentum is only a goal away:

(Al-Ahly is in blue. Esperance is in the yellow and red)

Your goal scorers were Geddo (putting home a 43rd minute setup from Al-Sayed Hamdy), Walid Soliman (with an amazing piece of skill before a great finish), and Cameroonian Yannick N?Djeng (who pulled Esperance within a goal of the title).

?Ahly deserved the victory as they dominated the entire game,? Esperance coach Nabil Maaloul admitted after the match.

For Al-Ahly, the win clinches their seventh continental title (a record), though the story of where they?ve been is more compelling that the accumulation of another trophy.

Forward Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the players on the field at Port Said, initially retired from soccer in the wake of February?s tragedy. ?I will not play football again,? he told the club?s television station.

?People here are dying and no one is doing a thing. It?s like a war,? Aboutrika said. ?Is life this cheap??

Midfielder Mohamed Barakat said there would be ?no football after [Port Said],? while forward Emad Moteab told Al-Ahly TV he would not play again until there was ?retribution for the people that died.?

Nine months after considering the end of their careers, all three were on the bench today, Aboutrika getting a late runout in place of Hamdy.

After the team?s victory, the trio is on their way to Japan, their team set to represent Africa at next month?s Club World Cup.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/17/al-ahly-wins-african-champions-league/

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