Al Ahly’s dream of a 13th CAF Champions League title comes to a crashing end

Al Ahly’s quest for a 13th continental crown came to a crashing halt at the Cairo International Stadium as they were dumped out of the CAF Champions League by Espérance de Tunis.

In a night of high drama, the Tunisian side secured a 3-2 victory (4-2 on aggregate) to silence the home crowd and advance to the semi-finals.

The ‘Red Eagles’ entered the second leg needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Radès. They started with perfect intent, finding an early breakthrough in the 10th minute. Mahmoud Trezeguet ignited the stadium by finishing a slick attacking move, leveling the aggregate score and putting Al Ahly firmly in control of the momentum.

However, the tide turned in a frantic second half. Espérance, showing the tactical discipline that has defined their campaign, weathered the storm and struck back in the 68th minute through Florian Danho.

The equalizer on the night gave the visitors a crucial aggregate lead and forced Al Ahly to chase the game. The pressure told ten minutes later when Mohamed Tougai converted a penalty to make it 2-1, leaving the hosts needing three goals to advance.

A late spark of hope arrived in the 84th minute when Marwan Otaka pulled one back for Al Ahly, making it 2-2. With the home side committing every man forward in a desperate search for goals, they left themselves exposed at the back.

Espérance ruthlessly exploited the gaps, and Hamza Jelassi sealed the result with a clinical strike four minutes into stoppage time.

The final whistle confirmed a 3-2 win for Espérance, marking a rare and bitter home exit for the Egyptian giants.

While Al Ahly dominated possession, their defensive lapses proved fatal against a clinical Tunisian side that now moves on to face either Mamelodi Sundowns or Stade Malien in the semi-finals.