Normal Service Resumed As Ahly Coast Into Semi-finals

Normal service resumed as Ahly coast into semi-finals

Johannesburg, Sept 23 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2018 ) :Record eight-time title holders Al Ahly of Egypt ended a run of second-leg shocks in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals by hammering Horoya of Guinea 4-0 in Cairo Saturday.

Veteran Walid Soliman broke the aggregate deadlock after a goalless first encounter by scoring after 32 minutes at the Al Salam Stadium in the Egyptian capital.

Horoya, appearing in the knockout stage of the elite African club competition for the first time, fell further behind on 53 minutes as islam Mohareb netted.

Rising star Salah Mohsen struck a third Ahly goal in the 69th minute and long-serving Ahmed Fathy completed the rout a minute into stoppage time.

The 4-0 aggregate victory earned Ahly a semi-final showdown with twice champions Entente Setif of Algeria next month with the first leg in Egypt on October 2.

First-time semi-finalists Primeiro Agosto of Angola tackle two-time African champions Esperance of Tunisia in the other half of the draw.

The final in early November will also be a two-leg affair and Ahly and Esperance are favoured to contest the decider with a $2.

5 million (2.1 mn Euros) first prize on the line.

An anticipated success for Ahly came after the other three quarter-finals produced two shocks and one surprise Friday.

No one outside Angola gave Primeiro a chance away to five-time champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo after a goalless first leg.

But Primeiro goalkeeper Adao Cabaca saved two penalties and Mazembe had two goals disallowed in a 1-1 draw that left the Luanda outfit victors on away goals.

Taking his cue from Cabaca, Setif goalkeeper Mustapha Zeghba made a string of superb saves to defy wasteful defending champions Wydad Casablanca in a 0-0 draw in Morocco.

Setif qualified 1-0 overall having won the first leg through a goal from Senegalese Isla Daoudi Diomande, his first in the Champions League since joining the club recently.

It took 177 minutes to settle an all-Tunisian tie between Esperance and slight favourites Etoile Sahel.

Esperance led 2-1 from the first leg and won the return match 1-0 through a goal from Ivorian Fousseny Coulibaly with only three minutes remaining.