CAFCL: Al Ahly secures narrow quarterfinal first leg victory against Al Hilal

A rare goal from Mohamed Hany made the difference for Al Ahly on Tuesday. Photo Credit: Al Ahly SC

Al Ahly of Egypt secured a home victory against Sudan's Al Hilal with a 1-0 win in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.

Ahly's attacking threat started early as Achraf Bencharki launched a header that was saved by Al Hilal's goalkeeper, Issa Fofana.

The hosts did not waste much time and took the lead in the 11th minute through right-back Mohamed Hany. He capitalized on a rebound from Issa Fofana and fired a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area to score the opening goal.

This was Mohamed Hany's first-ever goal in CAF competition and his seventh overall goal with Al Ahly in 346 appearances for the Red Devils.

In the 15th minute, Emam Ashour missed a one-on-one opportunity against Al Hilal’s goalkeeper, Issa Fofana, who made an excellent effort. Al Ahly continued to dominate the first half, maintaining 70.4% possession in the opening 39 minutes but failed to convert their dominance into a second goal.

The score remained unchanged until the final whistle, securing a 1-0 win for Al Ahly over Al Hilal. The match saw the absence of Al Hilal’s team captain and star player Mohamed Abdelrahman due to injury.

This result leaves all possibilities open for the second leg, which will take place in Mauritania on 8 April.