Al Ahly edged out ES Setif on away goal’s rule Tuesday night to book a date with Esperance de Tunis in this year’s Caf Champions League finals next month.
Ahly carried a healthy 2-0 lead into the semi-finals second leg encounter played at Stade 8 Mai 45 – Setif, Algeria and only needed to avoid a heavy defeat to sail through.
After a barren first half, Walid Soliman gave the visitors the lead in the 61st minute off a precisely executed counter attack.
The lead lasted only six minutes before Mohamed Bakir restored parity – powering a stinging shot past Ahly’s custodian El Shenawy.
Buoyed by the leveler, the hosts upped the ante, restricting the Egyptians in their own half as they probed for two extra goals to complete the turnaround.
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Substitute Houssameddine Guecha reduced the deficit further in the 72nd minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to tap home the second.
But that is as far as they could go as Ahly held on to reach the finals for the 12th time.
In the other semis re-match of the evening, Esperance de Tunis labored against Primeiro de Agosto, beating them 4-2 in Tunis to book the finals berth on 4-3 aggregate win.
Ahly and Esperance will contest this year’s finals on 2nd and 9th November 2018 with the winner taking home $2.5 million prize money and a ticket to the FIFA Club World Cup later this year.
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