Pitso Mosimane got one over his former employers as home side Al Ahly beat Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 in the 2020/2021 CAF Champions League at the Cairo International Stadium on Saturday.
Mohamed Taher was on target in the first half while Salah Shalabi doubled their lead late in the second half of the first leg match.
The win helped to give the defending champions a slight edge over the South African side ahead of next weekend’s return leg away.
Taher broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute with a sweetly-struck shot after drifting into his favourite right foot, having brilliantly controlled Aliou Dieng’s long ball.
Al Ahly scored just after dodging a bullet when Gift Motupa had come inches close on the other end.
The forward first saw his header come off the upright before being cleared for a corner-kick.
From the resultant set-piece, the striker was once again picked out with a decent delivery, but his header went inches wide.
It was a toughly-contested duel between the two sides, the ball being reduced to the middle of the pack as each sought to command possession.
In the second half, Mamelodi Sundowns picked up the tempo and they had another chance in the 58th minute.
That was when Mosa Lebusa sneaked in to head at the near-post off a cross on the right, but his effort was saved by a hawk-eyed Mohamed Elshenawy.
The goalkeeper was once again called into action in the 71st minute, making a brilliant one-handed save to tip over Motupa’s well-struck shot.
This was after Mamelodi Sundowns had played some beautiful football, with substitute Kermit Erasumus playing the tee-up ball.
Al Ahly made changes, with Junior Ajayi coming on for goalscorer Taher, while Walter Bwalya was also introduced for Mohamed Sherif.
It was an evidence Mosimane was clearly going for an attacking finish.
They got that second goal they were craving for, partly because of an error of judgement from goalkeeper Dennis Onyango.
The Ugandan had come off his line in a bid to pick out a long ball from Ajayi, but completely failed to pick out the ball.
Substitute Shalabi controlled with his chest and slapped the ball into an empty net to seal the victory for Al Ahly.
NAN.