Egyptian giants Al Ahly took another step to a third Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League title by seeing off Raja Casablanca in the quarterfinals.
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Al Ahly see off Raja Casablanca to close in on unprecedented 3rd consecutive title
Al Ahly eliminated Raja Casablanca 3-2 on aggregate while Nigerian duo Anayo Iwuala and Kingsley Eduwo both crashed out with Esperance
Al Ahly also pipped Raja Casablanca to the CAF Super Cup in 2021 (IMAGO/NurPhoto)
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Mohamed Abdulmonem's 44th-minute goal helped Pitso Mosimane's side grab a 1-1 draw away to Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V in Morocco on Friday night.
Following a first-leg 2-1 victory, Al Ahly booked their place in the semifinals for the third season running with a 3-2 aggregate victory over the Moroccans.
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Raja Casablanca suffer heartbreak by Al Ahly again
Raja Casablanca were hoping to overturn the one-goal deficit from the first leg in Cairo and got off to a good start when Fabrice Ngoma put them ahead in the 5th minute.
However, the reigning African champions ramped up the pressure on the home side and could have equalised in the 17th minute but Ali Maaloul had his penalty saved by Casablanca goalkeeper Anas Zniti.
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Al Ahly did find the back of the net before halftime, Mohamed Abdulmonem scoring his first CAF Champions League goal of the season in the 44th minute to put Al Ahly back in front on aggregate.
Al Ahly won the 2021 CAF Champions League
IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
That was how the match ended as Al Ahly secured their fifth semifinal appearance in the last six years in Africa's elite club competition with the only exception being the 2018/19 session when they lost 5-1 on aggregate to Mamelodi Sundowns at the quarter-final stage.
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ES Setif shock Esperance at home with Iwuala, Eduwo helpless
The second CAF Champions League match of Friday night pitted Esperance de Tunis and ES Setif together at the Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Rades.
With the first leg ending in a goalless draw, the match was perfectly poised for either team to book their place in the last four.
With the home crowd behind them, Esperance dictated the flow of the game, coming at ES Setif with an attack that included Nigeria's Anayo Iwuala.
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However, Abdelmoumene Djabou grabbed a shock goal for the visitors in the 21st minute to turn the match on its head.
Despite Esperance's 71% ball possession and firing off 25 shots compared to Setif's five (5) shots, the Tunisian side could not break down Setif's defence and crash out of the competition.
Al Ahly and Esperance became the first two teams to book their spots in the 2021/22 CAF Champions League semifinals as Iwuala and his Nigerian compatriot Kingsley Eduwo crashed out with Esperance.
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