CAF Champions League

CHAMPIONS’LEAGUE FINAL MATCH MEANS SO MUCH FOR NIGERIA’S JUNIOR AJAYI

Published

4 years ago

November 25, 2020

The CAF Champions League 2020 final will mark a special occasion for Al Ahly’s Nigerian star Junior Ajayi, who is hoping to finally claim the coveted African title which has twice eluded him.

In 2017, Al Ahly lost to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca 2-1 on aggregate in the decider, before injury prevented the Nigerian from taking part in the same fixture in 2018, which the Red Devils lost to Tunisia’s Esperance 4-3 on aggregate. The 24-year-old forward laments his side’s Champions League ambitions twice being thwarted in the final game.

“It was a bad time for us because coming up just short in consecutive editions isn’t good,” he said. “We’d played very well throughout both of those campaigns but didn’t perform in either final, which cost us the title.”

Having joined Al Ahly from Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien in the summer of 2016, Ajayi quickly made his mark at the Cairo-based club. He helped his side win the domestic league in his first season before scoring nine goals in his second year as they retained the title. Moreover, he scored three times en route to the Champions League final in 2017.

However, the Nigerian suffered a major blow in July 2018, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Botswana’s Township Rollers in the fourth round of that year’s Champions League group stage. Ajayi, who won a bronze medal with the Super Eagles at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016, described this injury as one of his worst moments.

“Having an injury that kept me out of the game for nearly six months was one of the most frustrating moments of my career.” he said.

Did you know?

Ajayi started out as a midfielder, then became a forward and now mostly plays on the wing.
With Al Ahly, he has won four consecutive league titles and lifted the Egyptian Super Cup twice.
He scored a brace against Zamalek in last year’s Super Cup triumph.
So far this season, he has made 42 appearances for his club in all competitions, scoring 11 goals.

Ajayi’s tale is a testament to the old adage that ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. After recovering from his six-month layoff, he celebrated another Egyptian league title before helping the Red Devils reach their third Champions League final in the last four years.

“We’re very happy we won the league, which gives us confidence ahead of the coming games,” he said. “We’re only focused on the continental title and will do our best to claim it.”

Having already faced the club’s arch-rivals in big games, Ajayi knows how difficult an opponent Zamalek will be and exactly what will await them at Cairo International Stadium on Friday.

“I expect a good game from both sides,” he said. “The two teams know each other very well, and Zamalek are among the toughest teams I’ve faced. I’ve lost two finals against them and it wasn’t a good feeling.”

Al Ahly and their fans will be hoping Ajayi can replicate his heroics against Zamalek from last year, when he scored twice against them in the Egyptian Super Cup. Were that to happen, no-one would be happier than the player himself.

“I love to play in big games because it highlights your capabilities as a player,” Ajayi said. “I’ve been lucky in scoring against big teams and I feel very happy when I do this.

“I want to score more goals and hope to win the Champions League, because it’s the only title I still haven’t managed. I hope we can do it because our fans love this tournament so much.”

If Ajayi succeeds in winning the continental title and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, it will surely be his crowning achievement with the Cairo giants.

–FIFA

CAF Champions League

Morocco’s FAR protests to CAF over Egypt’s Pyramids ban of club fans

Published

2 days ago

April 3, 2025

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA, Casablanca

Morocco’s FAR Rabat has filed an official complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against Egypt’s Pyramids FC for violating tournament regulations by limiting ticket access to away supporters during their CAF Champions League quarterfinal match on Tuesday.

Pyramids won the match, 4-1, leaving the Moroccan military football club a herculean task in the return leg in Rabat.

The Moroccan club remarked that it was defending the rights of its fans, adding that “football is a joy for everyone, and all supporters should be able to cheer their teams in a fair and safe atmosphere.”

In a statement published on the club’s official Facebook page, FAR Rabat said Pyramids had allocated only 200 tickets to their travelling supporters — far below the CAF-mandated minimum of 5 per cent of total stadium capacity, which the Moroccan side says should have amounted to at least 1,500 seats.

FAR added that, following the Monday technical meeting, they raised the issue with CAF and Pyramids management.

While CAF reportedly issued a directive requesting that Pyramids increase the allocation to avoid potential security concerns, the Egyptian club only added another 100 tickets, leaving “hundreds of Moroccan fans” outside the stadium, read the statement.

“These unacceptable practices… reflect a lack of respect for the rules and for the supporters who travelled from Morocco to support their team,” the club said, warning of “serious security risks” and calling for measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.

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CAF Champions League

Adel and Mayele star as Pyramids seize commanding first-leg lead over FAR Rabat

Published

3 days ago

April 2, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Pyramids FC put one foot in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with a commanding 4-1 victory over FAR Rabat in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday night at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo.

The Egyptian side stormed into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 40 minutes, with Congolese striker Fiston Mayele and winger Ibrahim Adel in inspired form.

Mayele opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, finishing off Mostafa Fathi’s assist, before doubling the lead in the 12th with a close-range finish after a cutback from Adel.

Adel got on the scoresheet himself in the 38th minute, calmly slotting home from the left side of the box after being released by Ramadan Sobhi.

The Moroccan visitors responded just before the break through Abdelfattah Hadraf, who finished from the centre of the box following Youssef El Fahli’s pass.

But any hopes of a comeback were dashed midway through the second half when Adel added his second and Pyramids’ fourth, poking the ball past the keeper after being teed up by Blati Touré in the 67th minute.

Despite late pressure and several changes from FAR Rabat, the hosts saw out the match comfortably and even hit the bar in stoppage time through Fathi.

The dominant win gives Pyramids FC a three-goal cushion ahead of the second leg in Morocco, leaving FAR Rabat with a mountain to climb if they are to overturn the deficit and reach the last four.

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CAF Champions League

Relentless Ahly grind out crucial first-leg win over Al-Hilal in Cairo

Published

3 days ago

April 2, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Mohamed Hani’s first-half strike was enough to give Ahly a 1-0 victory over Sudan’s Al-Hilal in the first leg of their CAF Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday at Cairo International Stadium.

The record 12-time African champions, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive continental title, ended a three-match winless run with a disciplined performance in front of their home crowd.

Hani scored the winner in the 11th minute, firing a powerful left-footed shot into the net after Al-Hilal goalkeeper Issa Fofana failed to hold onto Emam Ashour’s curling cross from the right flank.

Ahly started brightly, nearly opening the scoring earlier through Achraf Bencharki, whose header inside the box was well saved by Fofana in the 8th minute. The home side continued to dominate possession, with Moroccan left-back Yahya Attiat-Allah a frequent outlet on the left.

Emam Ashour, a constant threat, missed a golden opportunity to double Ahly’s lead in the 15th minute when he went one-on-one with the keeper, only to be denied again by Fofana.

Despite their early control, the Egyptian giants were unable to add to their lead, and Al-Hilal gradually grew into the game. Jean Claude Girumugisha had the visitors’ best chance just before the break, but his low shot from inside the area was comfortably handled by Mohamed El Shennawy.

Al-Hilal, forced to play their home fixtures in Mauritania due to the conflict in Sudan, showed resilience and commitment but struggled to create clear chances. Coach Florent Ibenge made a double substitution just past the hour mark to inject fresh energy, introducing Adama Coulibaly and Abdelrazig Omer.

Girumugisha came close again in the 77th minute, dragging a shot narrowly wide from the right side of the box, while Ahly substitute Nejc Gradisar tested Al-Hilal with a low effort that drifted past the post.

Late yellow cards for Rabia and Omar Kamal reflected the intensity of the closing stages, but Ahly held firm through six minutes of added time.

The win puts Ahly in a favourable position heading into the return leg, as they chase a record-extending 13th CAF Champions League crown.

Al-Hilal, who topped their group despite challenging circumstances, will need a stronger offensive display in the second leg if they are to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2015.

-Ahram

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