CAF Champions League: Morocco's Wydad AC crowned African kings, beat Al Ahly in final
The Moroccan club pipped Egyptian side Al Ahly 2-0 in the final clash played Monday night
Wydad Casablanca has emerged as the winner of this year's CAF Champions League.
The Moroccan club pipped Egyptian side Al Ahly 2-0 in the final clash played Monday night at the Stade Mohamed V.
Zouheir El Moutaraji was the hero for the night as his two goals were enough to see his team win the continent's biggest club competition.
Only a few days ago in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, another Moroccan club, Berkane won the CAF Confederation Cup after beating South African side Orlando Pirates via penalty kicks.
Monday's result was disappointing for Pitso Mosimane's Al Ahly as they missed out on a third straight CAF Champions League title.
Al Ahly were without a long list of players including Akram Tawfiq, Ammar Hamdi, Badr Banon, Michisoni and Mohamed Abdel Moneim. However, Pitso Mosimane did have superstars Mohamed El-Shennawy, Percy Tau, Ali Dieng, Mohamed Afsha and Mohamed Sherif at his disposal.
After coming close on a couple of occasions, Wydad took the lead in the fifteenth minute. Aymane El Hassouni laid the ball off to Zouheir El Moutaraji, who struck a powerful effort from outside the box on his right foot into the top left corner.
Wydad came close to getting a second goal came on the stroke of half-time when they won a free-kick on the edge of the box on when Hamdy Fathy brought down Mbenza.
Jalal Daoudi's free-kick went just wide of the left-hand upright.
The Moroccans were enjoying just over 30 per cent of the possession, which has been a feature of their campaign and were more than happy to sit back and break on the counter-attack when the opportunity presented itself.
One such break down the right saw the ball delivered behind the back of the Al Ahly defence and to the back post for El Moutaraji, whose initial effort was saved before he put the rebound into the roof of the net to double the lead.
Wydad survived a scare with ten minutes to go. Sherif got on the end of an excellent cross into the box from the right but the effort was brilliantly blocked by Ayoub El Amloud.
Mosimane's men were knocking on the door and loudly as next Percy Tau was played through on goal and just when he was about to pull the trigger the keeper came out and took the ball off his feet.
To add insult to injury Ahly saw Rami Rabia sent off as Wydad saw out the game comfortably backed by their boisterous supporters who went into delirium at the sound of the final whistle.
