African champions Ahly cruise to victory
JOHANNESBURG: Mohamed ‘Afsha’ Magdy broke the deadlock ater 57 minutes as holders Al Ahly of Egypt romped to a 3-0 CAF Champions League victory over Al Merrikh of Sudan on Tuesday.
The midfielder headed a Mohamed Hany cross into the net at the Cairo International Stadium to break the resistance of the visitors in a Group A first round match.
Mahmoud Kahraba scored a second goal six minutes later for the record nine-time African champions, who finished third at the Club World Cup in Qatar last week.
Democratic Republic of Congo-born Walter Bwalya put the outcome beyond doubt with a goal on 71 minutes in a match staged behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kahraba also scored in a qualifier against Niger oufit SONIDEP while Magdy and Bwalya claimed their first Champions League goals this season.
The wide winning margin took Ahly to the top of the table, ahead of Simba of Tanzania on goal difference, and V Club of DR Congo lie third and Merrikh last.
Simba will host Ahly and Merrikh have home advantage over V Club in the second round of matches on February 23.
Ahly are favoured to win the section while Simba have stolen a march on V Club in the probable contest for second place by beating them 1-0 in Kinshasa last Friday.
Group winners and runners-up advance to the quarter-finals of the marquee African club competition, which carries a $2.5 million (2 million euros) first prize.
Meanwhile, Ivorian Jacques Anouma, a candidate for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency, promised on Tuesday to fix the “sick” organisation.
Anouma is one of four confirmed candidates for the March 12 election in Morocco hoping to replace Ahmad Ahmad as the head of African football.
Malagasy Ahmad was suspended from football by FIFA for five years for “governance issues”, but could potentially still run for re-election ater the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) fast-tracked his appeal against the suspension.
“We have our chances (of winning),” Amouna told reporters in Abidjan.
“The Ivory Coast can finally have the opportunity to lead this sick confederation. It will be up to us to find a way to get it (CAF) on track, by diagnosing what is wrong because our institution deserves to be glorious. Rest assured, I am ready.”