The Cairo International Stadium witnessed a disappointing night for Egyptian football as Al Ahly’s hopes of securing a 13th CAF Champions League title was ended by Espérance de Tunis. The Tunisian side claimed a 3-2 victory on the night, advancing with a 4-2 aggregate score to book their place in the semi-finals.
Al Ahly entered the second leg needing to recover from a 1-0 defeat in the first leg. Their approach offered alot of promise, with Mahmoud Trezeguet scoring in the 10th minute to level the tie and lift the home crowd.
The game took a massive change in the second half. Espérance showed strong organization and struck back in the 68th minute through Florian Danho. The goal gave the visitors the advantage on aggregate. Ten minutes later, Mohamed Tougai converted a penalty to make it 2-1 on the night, leaving Al Ahly with a mountain to climb.
A late response came in the 84th minute when Marwan Otaka scored to make it 2-2. However, with Al Ahly pushing forward in search of more goals, left spaces at the back. Espérance took full advantage, and Hamza Jelassi scored in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win.
While Al Ahly controlled much of the possession, defensive mistakes proved costly against a clinical Tunisian side.
Following the final whistle, head coach Jess Thorup issued an apology to the supporters, acknowledging the disappointment caused by the elimination.
The club has now called for an urgent meeting tomorrow, where the future of Thorup is expected to be discussed. Reports indicate that the club is already exploring possible replacements, with Hossam El Badry, currently in charge of Al Ahli Tripoli, among the names being considered.
Espérance de Tunis will now face either Mamelodi Sundowns or Stade Malien in the next round.
Elsewhere in Cairo, the reigning champions Pyramids FC also suffered elimination. They suffered a 2-1 defeat at home by ASFAR, losing 3-2 on aggregate at the 30 June Stadium.
Having drawn the first leg in Rabat, ASFAR made a strong start with Reda Slim scoring after eight minutes. Pyramids pushed for an equalizer but found themselves further behind five minutes into the second half when Fallou Mendy scored with a header.
Pyramids kept their composure and continued to search for a way back into the tie. Their persistence paid off in the closing stages when Fiston Mayele scored from a corner to give the home side a lifeline. Despite a tense finish, ASFAR held firm to secure the victory and progress to the semi-finals.