CAF Confederation Cup: Al Ahly Edge Difaa El-Jadidi 1-0 in First Leg
Al Ahly of Egypt, reigning CAF Champions League titleholders but now competing in the CAF Confederation Cup after an early exit from the Champions League, managed only a narrow 1-0 win against Morocco’s Difaa El-Jadidi in Cairo during the first leg of the playoff round.
The result underscores a challenging season for the Cairo giants, who failed to capitalize on home advantage and take a commanding lead ahead of the return leg.
“The result and performance were not satisfactory,” admitted Al Ahly coach Mohamed Youssef. “We were not at the level of our recent league matches. But the important thing is that we didn’t concede a goal at home. The return leg will be very close, and we will need to perform much better.”
Despite the defeat, Difaa El-Jadidi remain optimistic. “A small loss against a giant like Al Ahly isn’t a bad result,” said Moroccan coach Abdel-Haq Ben Chikha. “However, Al Ahly remains Al Ahly. Their many absences clearly impacted their game. We’ll need to be fully focused and make a massive effort in the second leg.”
The return match in Morocco is set to be a tense affair, with both sides eyeing a place in the group stage.
