Algerian side CR Belouizdad secured a 1-0 victory over Egypt's Al Ahly in the fourth round of the CAF Champions League group stage.
The match's only goal came in the 91st minute, scored by Naoufel Khacef, who capitalized on a rebound from Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy. This victory followed a heavy 6-1 defeat for Belouizdad in the first-leg match in Cairo.
After the match, CR Belouizdad players shared their thoughts:
Defender Naoufel Khacef:
"We thank the fans, the players, and the management for their good behavior. Today, we played a great match. Our performance in the first game in Cairo was not our true level. Today, we showed our real performance and got the three points, which is the most important thing. We thank the players, they were men on the pitch. We thank the fans who supported us for the full 90 minutes.
"We overcame a week of pressure after losing 6-1 in Cairo. Today, we showed people that we did not deserve that result. Today, we secured three points, and that’s what matters."
"We are determined to go to South Africa and achieve a positive result against Orlando Pirates. We also have a match against Stade Abidjan and we hope to win it and do what is required of us."
Midfielder Abdelraouf Benguit:
"The match wasn’t easy. After the first leg, it was a shock for us and for the fans.
Today, we restored our pride and showed the fans that it was just a mistake in the first-leg result.
Today, we stayed focused until the last minute. We played against a strong opponent, Al Ahly, a well-known team. Now, we are focusing on the Orlando Pirates match.
The psychological factor was, of course, important after the first leg. When you lose to Al Ahly with that result, the players lose confidence. The defeat in Cairo shocked us completely. The coach worked on the psychological aspect, and today, we stayed focused until the last minute."
Attacker Abderrahmane Meziane:
"Hard luck to Al Ahly. We thank the fans of CR Belouizdad who supported us strongly from the first half. They stood with us and believed in us until the final minutes. We were united today. In the first leg in Cairo, we played a strong first half, and today is the best response to our fans who supported us strongly."
Here are the updated CAF Champions League Group C Standings:
1- Al Ahly (Egypt): 7 points - 4 games.
2- CR Belouizdad (Algeria): 6 points - 4 games.
3- Orlando Pirates (South Africa): 5 points - 3 games.
4- Stade d'Abidjan (Ivory Coast): 1 point - 3 games.
Orlando Pirates will host Stade d'Abidjan on Saturday at 4 PM GMT in the same round.
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