Al Ahly clinched the top spot in their group in the 2023-2024 African Champions League after defeating Young Africans from Tanzania, securing their spot in the continental quarter-finals.
حسين الشحات يهدي الأهلي المصري هدف التقدم بعد تمريرة جميلة من علي معلول ⚽️🔥#دوري_أبطال_أفريقيا | #الأهلي | #يانغ_أفريكانز pic.twitter.com/IxeDT6yh2X
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 1, 2024
The Cairo-based club secured their group’s leadership with a solitary goal against Young Africans at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday.
This victory marks the eighth time out of 16 participations that Al Ahly has advanced from the group stage by finishing atop their group with a lead in points over their competitors.
Let’s take a closer look at Al Ahly’s journey in the continental stage during the seven previous instances they progressed as group leaders.
In the 2005 edition, Al Ahly clinched their first advancement from the group stage as group leaders, amassing 14 points and ultimately lifting the trophy against Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel.
The year 2007 saw the club secure group leadership for the second time, collecting 12 points and finishing as runners-up after a defeat to Étoile Sportive du Sahel in the final.
Al Ahly repeated their feat in the 2008 edition, topping their group with 12 points and emerging victorious in the final against Cameroon’s Cotonsport Garoua.
Maintaining their momentum, the team secured their spot as group leaders in the 2012 edition with 11 points and claimed the title against Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive de Tunis in the final.
In the 2013 edition, Al Ahly once again progressed as group leaders with 11 points, ultimately winning the African crown against South Africa’s Orlando Pirates.
In 2018, Al Ahly advanced to the quarter-finals after topping their group with 13 points but settled for the runners-up spot after losing to Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive de Tunis in the final.
The seventh occurrence was in 2019 when the Red Devils advanced to the quarter-finals as group leaders but bowed out in the quarter-finals against Mamelodi Sundowns after a historic defeat in Pretoria and a consolation win in Alexandria.
