CAF Champions League 2017 final first leg ends in draw Both sides score early goals in Alexandria Second leg in Casablanca on 4 November
The first leg of the 2017 CAF Champions League final ended in a 1-1 draw between Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca in Alexandria, Egypt.
The match got off to a very lively start as hosts Al Ahly scored in the third minute through Momen Zakaria. Wydad answered with a goal of their own just over ten minutes later thanks to in-form Achraf Bencharki, and neither side was able to find the winning goal for the rest of the match.
Al Ahly produced plenty of chances, especially in the second half, but the visitors were able to do enough in the evening to frustrate Hossam El-Badry’s side.
Zakaria scored in the third minute after he received a pass outside the penalty area before quickly unleashing a shot with his left foot into the back of the net.
Wydad Casablanca then replied with a goal of their own when Mohamed Ounajem broke through on the right flank and delivered a superb ball for Bencharki to head for the equaliser.
Wydad will now host Al Ahly in the second leg of the final on 4 November in Casablanca. The winner with the superior aggregate score will lift the CAF Champions League title and earn a place at the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017.
Coach Hossam El Badry says his side Al Ahly are looking to extend their record tally of titles as they contest the African Champions League final.
At the Borg el-Arab Stadium today, Al Ahly will take on Moroccans Wydad Casablanca in Alexandria in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final.
“We aim to win whatever competition we enter,” he pointed out. “Our supporters are very much excited for another Champions League title.”
The Cairo giants have won eight African crowns, the last of which came in 2013.
Both sides were made to work for their place to the final, especially Wydad, who played out a goalless draw with USM Alger in the first leg of their semi-final before recording a hard-earned 3-1 win in the second.
The Egyptians side Al Ahly overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Etoile Sportive du Sahel with an emphatic 6-2 victory in the return.
El Badry, who is enjoying a third spell in charge of the club, guided Al Ahly to the 2012 Champions League title.
The winner will bag a reward of 2,500,000 US Dollars and a ticket to represent the African continent at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in December in the United Arab Emirates.
The second leg will is slated for November 4 in Morocco at the Complexe Mohammed V stadium, Casablanca.
Egypt heads to the World Cup finals in Russia for the first time in 28 years after 2-1 victory over Congo in Alexandria gives them an uncatchable four-point lead in Group E, having had to watch from the sidelines since Italy 1990.
Their place at the upcoming tournament in Russia was clinched in dramatic fashion as Mohamed Salah scored a stoppage-time penalty to sink a stubborn Congo 2-1. They now sit four points clear of second-placed Uganda with one Group E game remaining.
Liverpool attacker, Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring earlier in the half, only for Arnold Bouka to slam home in the 88th minute to silence almost 85,000 fans and seemingly set-up a tough trip to Ghana to seal their spot.
However, they were not to be left disappointed and 44-year-old goalkeeper Essam El Hadary led the celebrations at full-time as the North Africans, seven-time continental champions and 2016 CAF Africa Cup of Nations runners-up booked only their third passage to the finals. Russia will only be their second destination for a World Cup, having made their debut at Italy’s first hosting back in 1934.
Africa’s Russia 2018 Qualifiers round-Up – Nigeria became the first African country to book their ticket to the next FIFA World Cup™, while Tunisia also took a big step towards Russia 2018, as did Senegal, who have a game in hand on their closest pursuers. Côte d’Ivoire, on the other hand, were overtaken by Morocco and the two will now lock horns with qualification on the line on the final matchday, whereas Egypt can qualify if they overcome Congo later today.
Match of the weekend
Morocco 3-0 Gabon
The Moroccans capitalised on Côte d’Ivoire’s Friday-night stumble in Mali in style, easing past Gabon 3-0 to move into top spot in Group C. Khalid Boutaib was the star of the show, hitting a perfect hat-trick – his first goal was a glancing header, his second a right-footed volley and his third an emphatic left-footed finish – to fire his country to victory.
The Atlas Lions are now in pole position and know that a draw in their final game – a potentially explosive showdown away to the Elephants on 6 November – would be enough to take them through.
Elsewhere
Group A: Tunisia could have qualified courtesy of their 4-1 romp away in Guinea had Congo DR not kept within striking distance by triumphing 2-1 in Libya. Still, the Eagles of Carthage remain very much in the driving seat ahead of the final matchday, when they entertain the Libyans.
Group B: Nigeria sealed qualification by edging past a well-drilled, combative Zambia side 1-0. Alex Iwobi – who also scored against the Zambians in the reverse fixture – proved his side’s hero. Meanwhile, with both having been knocked out of contention the last matchday, there was only pride to play for when Cameroon welcomed Algeria to Yaounde, and it was the Indomitable Lions who claimed the bragging rights with an industrious 2-0 win.
Group C: Already reeling after their home loss to Gabon last time out, Marc Wilmots’ Côte d’Ivoire are now staring into the abyss after their limp 0-0 draw away to Mali, which leaves the Ivorians needing to get the better of Morocco in their last fixture in order to qualify.
Group D: South Africa belatedly breathed some life into their campaign by registering their first win of the group stage, a 3-1 defeat of Burkina Faso. Nevertheless, the Bafana Bafana stay bottom of the standings ahead of their November double-header against Senegal, who took command of the group and gave their qualification hopes a huge boost with their 2-0 success away to Cape Verde Islands.
Group E: Uganda hosted Ghana knowing that victory would see them leapfrog Egypt at the top of the table, at least temporarily. However, the Black Stars were not about to lie down and came away with a 0-0 draw. The upshot is that if the Pharaohs prevail at home to Congo later today, they will clinch a berth at the World Cup for the third time.
The quote
“We knew that today’s match was only a semi-final. Now we can go to Abidjan with more confidence, without having to take too many risks and with our fate in our own hands, albeit mindful that it’ll be a tough game. We beat Côte d’Ivoire at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, so we know we can do it again.” – Morocco coach Herve Renard
Sierra Queens of Sierra Leone will open their quest for the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers against West African neighbours Mali in the first round qualifiers in the race to Ghana.
To qualify for the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations billed for Ghana, the two sides will face off in the first round of qualification in February with the Queens hosting the first leg in Freetown before moving away to Bamako for the return leg.
If the Sierra Leone Queens are able to get passed their Malian opponent, they will have to face the winner between Morocco and Ivory Coast, who would also battle in the first round.
The tournament will also double as the qualifiers to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 2018 edition of the tournament will be held in Ghana from November 17 to December 1st.
Hosts Ghana qualified automatically, while the remaining seven spots will be determined by the qualifying rounds, which will begin on February 26, 2018.
The full draw for this year’s qualifiers includes; First Round: Senegal v Algeria, Libya v Ethiopia, Morocco v Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone v Mali, Burkina Faso v Gambia, Congo v South Africa, Kenya v Uganda, Lesotho v Swaziland, Tanzania v Zambia, Namibia v Zimbabwe.
Second Round: Senegal/Algeria v Libya v Ethiopia , Morocco/Ivory Coast v Sierra Leone/Mali, Burkina Faso/Gambia v Nigeria , Congo/Central Africa v Cameroon, Kenya/Uganda v Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho/Swaziland v South Africa, Tanzania/Zambia v Namibia/Zimbabwe.
Isha Johansen is to bid for re-election as Sierra Leone’s FA president despite saying she suffered ‘intimidation’ and ‘discrimination’ during her first term.
Africa’s only female FA president took charge in 2013 and her reign has been blighted by controversy, infighting and the Ebola crisis.
“I have decided to run for a second term in office – after careful deliberation,” Johansen told BBC Sport.
“I would like to finish what I started. There is unfinished business.”
“Considering Ebola took away two years and the remaining two years were marred with controversy, infighting, boycotts and all kinds of weird and wonderful antics by those who oppose my leadership, we have still managed to achieve quite a great deal.”
Johansen lists an increase in coaches, both male and female, better playing surfaces and improved national teams among her feats.
The Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) should have held elections on 3 August but these were delayed by Fifa until integrity checks on current and potential SLFA executive members are carried out.
Match-fixing inquiry
Football’s world governing body is due in Freetown next week to pave the way for new elections and address a match-fixing inquiry.
Johansen believes her decision to back the inquiry into whether Sierra Leone’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa in 2008 was fixed has created many of her problems, which include an arrest and a court injunction.
Since 2014, eleven officials and four players have been suspended by the SLFA pending investigation. They have all denied wrongdoing.
“Are the intimidation and harassment because of the match-fixing? Maybe it is because certain people believe I instigated it,” she refuted.
“I believe it would probably not have been so aggressive and antagonistic had the impending match-fixing inquiry been dropped.”
“(But) if it has been alleged that this has been going on, we owe it to the country and world to prove that Sierra Leone is clean of these allegations. If it did indeed happen, then those who are guilty will be brought to book.”
Last year, Johansen spent a night in custody when detained by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after failing to attend a hearing, whereupon ACC officials and armed police raided the SLFA secretariat.
The ACC said it was investigating the use of funds received by the SLFA, with Johansen later released without charge.
Last month, Sierra Leone’s High Court briefly froze the local FA’s assets after ordering a court injunction which has since been lifted until Fifa’s visit.
The injunction was sought by SLFA rivals who felt Johansen’s mandate had expired after last month’s elections were delayed.
“I expect that after this declaration, there are going to be intensified moves to further intimidate me but these things don’t bother me anymore,” she added.
“I refuse to be intimidated. If you have nothing to hide, why run?”
Fifa recognises the Johansen-led SLFA leadership until elections are conducted.
Earlier this year, Johansen was elected onto the Confederation of African Football’s Executive Committee.
At least, one other candidate – Sanusi Bruski Kargbo, chairman of East End Lions FC, has declared.
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Sierra Leone | Highlights -