Egyptian international Mohamed Abdelmoneim scored in the 78th minute as Al Ahly rallied from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Wydad Athletic Club in Casablanca on Sunday, clinching their 11th TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title.
The Red Devils won the contest 3-2 on aggregate after winning the first leg 2-1 at home last weekend in Cairo.
Abdelmoneim made a superb run to the near post, flicking in an Ali Maaloul corner to enrage the small Ahly crowd.
With the win, Al Ahly wiped the tears from last season where they lost the title to the Moroccan giants 2-0 in the single-legged final at the same venue.
Before Abdelmoneim’s goal, Wydad were headed for a 1-0 win courtesy of Yahya Attiat Allah’s goal and that would have been enough to see them retain the title on the away goal rule, becoming the first ever Moroccan side to win back to back titles.
But, it was the Egyptian side which would leave the Stade Mohamed V Complex with smiles on their faces and the trophy in their hands.
It was a typical feisty North African derby, with chances few, but the battle immense especially in midfield.
Ayoub El Amloud had a chance to score for Wydad in the 13th minute when he made a daring run from his right back position, drifting into the box, but his eventual shot was poor and easy to gather for Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who was making his return.
They broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, when Attiat Allah’s right-footed freekick curled all the way into the far right. The entire defense had been caught off guard by Mohamed Ounnajem’s sprint towards the ball, allowing Shenawy to be easily beaten.
The tie continued to be dominated my midfield battles with chances fading off.
In the second half, Ahly demonstrated their purpose by going all-in on attack, with Ahmed Abdelkader and Mohamed Magdy Afsha replacing Marwan Attia and Hussein Elshahat, who had been heavily marked out throughout the game.
Ahly pushed Wydad to play in their own half, but their chances of progressing were restricted. They were rewarded 12 minutes later when Maaloul’s exquisite delivery was glanced home by Abdelmoneim.
When Abdelkader won the ball behind the defense, he couldn’t past Wydad goalie Youssef El Motie from a tight angle, and the Egyptians would have extended their lead in extra time.
Despite pressure from Wydad with some nerve wrecking set pieces and drop balls, Ahly managed to see off the result and reclaim their title.