Al-Ahly of Egypt striker, Junior Oluwafemi Ajayi is celebrating his side’s back-to-back conquest of the CAF Champions League, following victory over compatriot, Daniel Akpeyi’s Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa, megasportsarena.com reports.
Although Ajayi got only one minute of action on the pitch in Saturday’s final, the former 36 Lion FC of Lagos and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan attacker will continue to relishing being part of the squad, as the Egyptian side sealed a record-extending 10th African title.
Akpeyi’s side, though, had a man sent off and they crashed 3-0 in Casablanca, Morocco, where Ajayi’s team successfully defended the TotalEnergies trophy and secured their 10th overall title, with goals from Mohamed Sherif, Magdy Afsha and Mohamed Elsoulia.
With Chiefs having to play the whole of the second half with 10 men, after Happy Mashiane was sent off at the stroke of half-time for a studs-up challenge, Ajayi’s Cairo-based side went on to win double the number of Champions League titles than the next most successful team, which happens to be their local neighbours, Zamalek.
Sherif opened the scoring eight minutes into the second half, and that was followed by goals for Afsha and El-Sulaya in a dominant display at an empty Mohamed V Stadium against Akpeyi’s side, who were appearing in their first Champions League final.
Amakhosi’s implosion came when Mashiane was sent off for a dangerous studs-up foul on Tawfik Akram and, though he was initially yellow-carded, he was expelled upon advice from the Video Assistant Referees.
Ahly took maximum advantage of the numerical strength in the second half and it took them just eight minutes to break the deadlock, as Akram sent Sherif through with a peach of a pass and the forward dinked the ball over an onrushing Akpeyi.
The Red Devils then made it 2-0 in the 64th minute off a quick counter attack when Akpeyi and defender Eric Mathoho did not decide who was to go for the ball and Mohamed Taher sprayed it to Afsha who played a one two with Sherif before slamming the ball into the far left.
Ten minutes later, it was game over for Chiefs as Ahly got their third off another quickly executed play. Sheriff picked the ball at the edge of the box before setting up Elsoulia with a beautiful backheel roll.
Elsoulia picked his spot and curled in a beauty past the keeper to all but seal the title into Ahly’s name. Chiefs made attempts to try and cut out the deficit, but the Egyptians were more settled and dealt with the danger with calmness.
Before having a player sent off, the South Africans were already playing the game on the back foot, managing only one shot on target, as they looked to catch Ahly on the counter-attack, but Sherif, who was replaced by Ajayi in the 90th minute, broke the deadlock after a clever run between the Chiefs’ defence.
He went on to collect a pass from Akram Tawfik and finish from a tight angle, after which Afsha doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a curling shot from the edge of the box before Sherif turned provider with a clever back-heel to set up El-Sulaya in the 74th minute.
It sealed a third Champions League title for Ahly’s South African coach, Pitso Mosimane, being his second with the Cairo side, having also led them to the crown last season, a yar after he won it with his homeland outfit, Mamelodi Sundowns.
