World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

Seaof red...Wydadwerewellsupportedin frontoftheirfans

Champions...

Wydadcaptain

Yahya Jabranelifts

thetrophy

WORLDSERVICE

suddenlyhada handfulofchancesto

getthemselves backinthegameand

setupa grandstandfinish.Wydad

goalkeeperRedaAhmedTagnaouti

madea vitalstoptodeny PercyTau

astheMoroccansheldonforvictory.

“Ithinkwemeritedthetitle,”

insistedWydad’s coachWalidRegragui,

theFrench-bornformerMorocco

internationaldefenderinhisfirstseason

attheclub.“Wewerestronginthe

groupphase, eliminatingZamalekand

wecamethroughtoughopponents

intheknockout roundstoo.”

Thatmight beexaggeratingtheir

progresstothewinners’podium;they

didscoremoregoalsthanany other

sideinthisseason’s competitionbut

alsoavoidedsomeoftheothertop

challengers,whofellby thewayside.

SouthAfrica’sMamelodiSundowns

seta newgroupphaserecordof 1 6 out

ofa possible 18 points butthencrashed

toAngolanunderdogsPetroAtleticoin

thelasteight,trippingovertheirown

self-confidence.

Similarly, Esperanceof Tunisiawere

alsoexpectedtobea strongcontender

butlosta rarehomegametoAlgeria’s

EntenteSetifinthequartersandwere

alsobundledout.

AhlyedgedRaja Casablancaintheir

quarter-finaltie

amidsomeVAR

controversybut

inthesemis

reminded

everyoneof

theirstrengthby

beatingSetif6- 2

onaggregate.

Wydadwere

alsofar toostrong

forPetroand

won 3 -1awayin

Luandabeforea

1-1homedrawin

thereturnas they

setthemselvesup

toemulatetheir

previoussuccesses

in 1992 and 201 7.

Bitter...Al Ahly coach
Pitso Mosimane

Goal...Zouhair

el-Moutaraji

celebratesscoring

inthefinal

PredictablytheEgyptianswereup

inarmsabouthavingtoplaythefinal

inWydad’s backyardandquicklytook

thematter totheSwiss-basedCourt

ofArbitrationfor Sport –buthadtheir

appealdismissed.

“Isupposethepowerfulgotwhat

theywantedintheend,” saida bitter

andsarcasticAhlycoachPitso

Mosimaneafterhissidelost 2 -0inthe

final,andina referencetoMorocco’s

considerableswayontheAfricangame.

Casablanca’sMohamedVstadiumdid

deliveranextraordinaryone-sided

atmospherewiththe 12 thmanfactor

provingconsiderableasWydadwon,

therebydenyingAhlythedistinction

ofbecomingthefirst clubtotakethe

ChampionsLeaguethreeyearsina row.

Asitis,theCairogiantshavewon

doublethenumberoftitlesoftheir

nearest challengersbuttheirbest

effortsat extending theirdominanceon

theAfricanclubgamewereundoneby

twomomentsof brilliancefromWydad’s

ZouhairElMoutaraji.

The26-year-oldattackercutinat

pacefromtheleft wingbefore

unleashinga cracking shotfromwell

outsideAhly’spenalty

areatoopenthe

scoringinthe 15th

minute.Headded

thesecondgoalwith

quickanticipationa

minuteintothe

secondhalf, tucking

homea reboundfromcloserangeasAl

Ahly’sdefencewerecaughtstatic.Guy

Mbenza,theCongolesestriker onloan

toWydadfromRoyalAntwerpin

Belgium,alsostruckthewoodworkbutif

thispaints a pictureof homedominance,

thefinalprovedanythingbut.

Instead,AlAhlycontrolledmore

than 60 per centofthepossession

butprovedunabletopenetratethe

Wydaddefenceuntillateonwhenthey

WORLDSOCCER 75

PredictablytheEgyptianswereupinarmsabouthaving

toplaythefinalinWydad’sbackyardandquicklytookthe

mattertotheSwiss-basedCourtofArbitrationforSport

• buthadtheirappealdismissed