Al Ahly thrash Kitara 4-0 to reach CAF Confederation Cup group stage

Al Ahly secured their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage with a 4-0 victory over Uganda’s Kitara, completing a 6-1 aggregate win after a 2-1 success in the first leg.

Hussein El Shahat scored twice, while Mohamed Magdy “Afsha” and Taher Mohamed Taher were also on target for the Egyptian side.

The result takes Al Ahly into the group stage for the third time in their history. They won the competition in 2013 before reaching the semi-finals in 2015, while their previous participation came in 2008, when they were eliminated by Angola’s Santos on penalties in the last 16.

The match also saw Al Ahly reach 700 goals in all African competitions. El Shahat achieved the milestone by opening the scoring, and became part of the club’s list of players to score 100 or more goals in continental competitions.

Al Ahly will discover the three teams joining them in the group when the draw takes place next Wednesday.

Al Ahly started with El Shahat, Hady Riyad, Akram Tawfik, Afsha and Taher returning to the starting line-up.

They made the stronger start and nearly took the lead in the eighth minute, when Taher beat a defender before seeing his low shot saved by the Kitara goalkeeper.

Tawfik received treatment on the pitch after a strong challenge from a visiting player, but returned to the game. Taher then delivered a cross which El Shahat struck first time over the bar in the 21st minute. The forward later tried again with a low effort that was comfortably collected by the goalkeeper.

El Shahat finally broke the deadlock in the 37th minute, taking advantage of the goalkeeper’s advanced position to send a delicate shot from the edge of the penalty area into the net. It was his goal that brought Al Ahly to 700 in African competitions.

Two minutes before half-time, Afsha converted a low cross to make it 2-0. The goal was his 12th for Al Ahly in continental competitions.

Yassin Marei replaced Ashraf Dari at the start of the second half, and El Shahat added his second in the 51st minute with a low finish into the goalkeeper’s near corner. That goal took his Al Ahly tally in all competitions in Africa to 25.

Al Ahly manager Hussein Ammouta made three changes in the 60th minute, introducing Ahmed Nabil Kouka, Ahmed Eid and Mohamed Abdullah for Tawfik Mohamed, Marwan Attia and El Shahat.

Ahmed Eid then crossed for Taher to head in the fourth in the 68th minute. It was Eid’s first assist for Al Ahly in his seventh appearance since joining the club in January.

Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” replaced Karim Fouad in the 72nd minute, and saw a shot saved in the 89th as Al Ahly completed a convincing victory.