When it comes to continental football, it just doesn’t get bigger than Al Ahly SC. The Egyptian giants have earned their title as the CAF African Club of the Century for good reason. Not only are they the defending champions of the CAF Champions League, but they have also won the competition a record 12 times—more than any other club on the African continent.
The next closest clubs, TP Mazembe and Zamalek, have five titles each. Orlando Pirates, though absent from the continental showpiece in recent seasons, boast a rich history in this competition when it comes to clashes between these two sides. Meetings between the Buccaneers and Al Ahly have often been tightly contested and judging by the form of both teams in their opening matches, fans on opposite ends of the continent can expect another thrilling encounter.
Both teams currently sit on three points after their respective opening fixtures. Pirates earned a hard-fought 2-1 away victory against CR Belouizdad, while Al Ahly emerged as 4-2 victors against Stade d’Abidjan. As we gear up for this weekend’s encounter, here is an in-depth look at what the Mighty Buccaneers can expect on Saturday.
Head-to-Head
With Al Ahly topping the table on goal difference, Orlando Pirates could seize first place with a victory. Historically, the head-to-head record between these teams has been closely contested. Out of six encounters, the Buccaneers have claimed three wins, with two draws, while Al Ahly have managed just one victory—a significant one at that.
The two sides contested the 2013 CAF Champions League Final over two legs. The first leg, held at Orlando Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw. In the second leg, the Red Devils, as they are affectionately known, secured a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Egyptian legend Mohamed Aboutrika. Despite the scoreline, the match was tightly contested, with the Buccaneers squandering key opportunities in the first half that could have altered the outcome of the match.
Current Form (Last 5 Matches): W–W-D-W-D
Al Ahly are a team that competes on many fronts. They don’t only compete in the Caf Champions League and the Egyptian Premier league. Over the past month and a half, the reigning champions have also participated in the CAF Super Cup and the FIFA World Club Cup. Of their last five competitive matches, Marcel Koller’s men have won three times and drawn twice. Scoring 11 goals and conceding 5 goals.
Key Players
Emam Ashour (26 Years Old)
If Emam Ashour features in the match on Saturday, then there is no doubt that that he will be one of the key players for the visitors. We use the word “if” because the 26-year-old has struggled with disciplinary issues off the field.
Recently, the midfielder was suspended after clashing with the team captain. However, if recent reports are anything to go by, Ashour will be part of the traveling contingent after apologising to his teammates for his misdemeanour.
Yahya Allah (29 Years Old)
The Moroccan international is currently on loan at Ahly from Russian club Socci. He is a very competent full back who provides the additional attacking threat with his marauding runs down the left flank. Yahya, along with his teammate Khaled Fattah who plays right full back, are key in providing width for Ahly to allow the likes of El Shahat and Taher Mohamed to tuck in and play in the half spaces.
Hussein El Shahat (32 Years Old)
Although El Shahat has had a slow start to the season, his quality and influence in the attack are undeniable. Playing as a right-footed attacker on the left flank, he benefits from the overlapping runs of Yahya Allah, giving him the freedom to cut inside and create scoring opportunities. El Shahat has a reputation for delivering crucial goals when it matters most.
Strengths
• Defensive Fortress
Sir Alex Ferguson once famously said: “Attack wins you games but defence wins you titles”, this statement cannot be any truer for Al Ahly. The defending champions, are miserly in defence and that is hugely due to the experience of the defence. Anchored by the experienced El Shenawy in goal and the central defensive pairing of Ramy Rabia and Yasser Ibrahim, the Red Devils are a tough nut to crack. Notably, they navigated the knockout stages of the 2023 CAF Champions League without conceding a single goal. This season, the only blemish has been the two goals conceded against Stade d’Abidjan.
• Game Management
Al Ahly’s primary strength lies in their ability to read the game and focus on securing the result.Ordinarily,the Red Devils prefer a dominant possession focused style of play. Their midfielders, such as Ashour, Mohamed Magdy and Marwan Attia, are skilled at maintaining control of the ball, dictating the pace of the game, and creating opportunities for their forwards.
This ability to control the game through possession puts constant pressure on their opponents and minimises the time the opposition has to mount their own attacks. However, due to the maturity of the team – often, when Ahly plays away, the team opts for a more cautious approach which includes slowing down the game, breaking play and sometimes a transitional type of game.
SOURCED FROM ORLANDO PIRATES WEBSITE.
