Egyptian giants AL Ahly secured a crucial goalless draw against Tunisian champions Esperance at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in the CAF Champions League final first leg on Saturday.
The decisive second leg will be held at the Cairo International Stadium on 25 May, where the champion of this prestigious tournament will be crowned.
A key highlight of the match was Ahly setting a new record with 21 consecutive unbeaten games in the CAF Champions League, surpassing Esperance’s previous record of 20 matches in the tournament.
Both teams struggled to create clear scoring opportunities, with Esperance unable to capitalize on home advantage due to Ahly’s solid defense.
Ahly faced an early setback when veteran left-back Ali Maaloul sustained an injury just five minutes into the match, prompting Swiss coach Marcel Koller to substitute midfielder Karim Fouad for Maaloul.
Rodrigo came close to giving hosts Esperance an early lead with a well-executed header that narrowly missed the crossbar.
Winger Hussein El-Shahat had a few attempts, but none posed a threat to the Tunisian keeper.
The first half concluded without any significant threats to either goal, as scoring chances remained scarce.
As defending champions, Ahly are determined to showcase their long-standing dominance in African football by securing their 12th Champions League title, while Esperance aims to win their fifth title and their first since their triumphant 2019 campaign.
