Egypt’s Al Ahly won the African Champions League on Sunday for a record-extending 11th continental club title, defeating defending champions Wydad Casablanca at their home in Morocco.
Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem’s 78th-minute goal saw the second leg of the final end 1-1 in Casablanca and gave Al Ahly a 3-2 aggregate win.
The Egyptian giant won their third championship in four years as payback for losing to Wydad in the one-off final at the same Stade Mohammed V the previous year.
Yoha Attiyat In the 27th minute, Allah gave Wydad the lead with a left-footed free kick that sailed past everyone and into the far corner of the goal.
At 1-0 on the night, Wydad was leading on away goals, and from that point on, the home crowd let off fireworks, forcing referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa to halt play in the second half for a few minutes so the clouds of thick white smoke could disperse.
About 10 minutes after the brief interruption, Abdelmonem put an end to the Wydad fans’ joy when he glanced a header in response to Ali Maaloul’s corner to restore Al Ahly to the summit of African club football.
Wydad fans threw plastic bottles at the Al Ahly players as they were celebrating the score in close proximity to a small group of Wydad supporters.
The North African matchup was heavily guarded, with police lines forming to encircle the pitch in the closing moments of play.
Before the game began, there were altercations between Wydad fans and Moroccan police close to the stadium. Some people were put into police vans.
Two hours prior to the start of the match, the 45,000-seat Stade Mohammed V was completely packed.
Wydad were in control for the majority of the game in Casablanca, spurred by a late goal of its own to leave Cairo with a close 2-1 loss.
Prior to his third effort, which was more of a cross than a shot and flew over everyone and beyond Mohammed El Shenawy’s right hand for the first goal, Moroccan international Attiyat Allah had two identical curling free kicks from the same location saved by El Shenawy.
Abdelmonem met Maaloul’s corner first, and the ball slid over his head, across the goal, and into the same corner that Attiyat Allah scored in, costing Wydad as the second half went on. Wydad had withdrawn in an effort to preserve its advantage.
