Mamelodi Sundowns clinched a dramatic spot in the final of the CAF Champions League after holding Al Ahly to a 1-1 draw in Cairo on Friday night, progressing on the away goals rule.

After a tense 0-0 stalemate in the first leg in Pretoria, it was Al Ahly who drew first blood in the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium.

Taher Mohamed fired the hosts into the lead midway through the first half, smashing home from outside the box after being teed up by the lively Emam Ashour.

Backed by a passionate home crowd, Al Ahly dominated much of the first period and looked on course to finally break their winless streak against the South Africans.

But Mamelodi Sundowns showed their resilience and turned the tie on its head in the closing stages.

With ten minutes remaining, a low cross caused panic in the Ahly defence, resulting in Yasser Ibrahim inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Peter Shalulile.

It was a heartbreaking moment for the Egyptian giants and a lifeline for Sundowns, who knew a 1-1 draw would be enough to see them through.

Al Ahly threw everything forward in search of a late winner, with substitutes Achraf Bencharki and Wessam Abou Ali both going close in a frantic finale.

But Sundowns, marshalled superbly by their backline and aided by a bit of fortune, held firm to seal a famous qualification.

It marks a significant milestone for Pretoria-based side, who have now gone nine consecutive matches unbeaten against the record African champions.

Sundowns’ reward is a place in the final, where they will face either Pyramids FC or Orlando Pirates — with the second semi-final set to be decided later.

For Al Ahly, it was a night of bitter disappointment despite their brave efforts, as their dream of a record-extending CAF Champions League title came to a crashing halt at home.

-CAF

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Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns are set for a blockbuster clash on Friday night at Cairo International Stadium as they battle for a place in the final of the CAF Champions League.

With the first leg in Pretoria ending goalless, everything is still to play for in this highly anticipated second-leg encounter.

Despite Al Ahly’s rich history and dominance in African club football, Sundowns have held the upper hand in recent meetings.

The South African giants are unbeaten in their last eight matches against the Cairo club, scoring 11 goals and conceding just five in that run.

Al Ahly have not defeated Sundowns since May 2021 and will be looking to overturn that trend on home soil.

The hosts have been rock solid at the back in this season’s Champions League, keeping three consecutive clean sheets.

Their defensive resilience will be key once again, especially against a Sundowns side that has failed to score in its last 216 minutes of continental action.

Peter Shalulile, with three goals to his name in the tournament, remains the Brazilians’ biggest threat up front.

Midfielder Emam Ashour has been pivotal to Al Ahly’s campaign, scoring five times — joint-highest in the competition — and will be expected to spark the attack once more.

Home advantage could prove crucial for the Egyptians.

They are unbeaten in their last six home games across all competitions and boast three wins from four home matches in this CAF Champions League campaign.

Sundowns, meanwhile, have struggled on the road, managing just one win in four away matches this season.

With a place in the final at stake, both sides will be pushing to make their mark in what promises to be a high-stakes, high-intensity clash under the Cairo lights.

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African heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly cancelled each other out in a tense 0-0 draw in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.

The highly anticipated clash between the South African champions and Egypt’s record 14-time title holders produced few clear chances but plenty of tactical intrigue, as both sides looked to gain a psychological edge ahead of the decisive second leg in Cairo.

Sundowns entered the match with hopes of capitalising on home advantage, but Al Ahly’s defensive resilience and experience in high-stakes continental showdowns proved decisive in keeping the hosts at bay.

The home side dominated possession early on and looked to assert themselves with efforts from Teboho Mokoena and Lucas Ribeiro Costa. However, they struggled to break through a disciplined Al Ahly defence marshalled by Mostafa Al Aash and Yasser Ibrahim.

Al Ahly came closest to scoring just before half-time when Nejc Gradisar saw his header crash off the post after being set up by Emam Ashour. Sundowns responded with efforts from Marcelo Allende and Peter Shalulile, but neither side could find the cutting edge in the final third.

Substitutions in the second half saw both coaches—Miguel Cardoso for Sundowns and Marcel Koller for Al Ahly—try to tilt the balance in their favour. Arthur Sales and Iqraam Rayners were introduced for the hosts, while Achraf Bencharki and Akram Tawfik came on for the visitors.

But the breakthrough never arrived, with both goalkeepers—Ronwen Williams and Mohamed El Shenawy—largely untested despite moments of attacking promise.

The draw leaves the tie finely poised ahead of next weekend’s return leg at the Cairo International Stadium, a venue where Sundowns have traditionally struggled.

Al Ahly, unbeaten at home in the CAF Champions League since 2021, will now fancy their chances of securing a place in the final as they chase a record-extending 15th continental crown.

For Sundowns, who last lifted the trophy in 2016, the goalless first leg means they must do what they have failed to do in previous visits to Cairo—win.

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