
Ahly midfielder Emam Ashour fights for the ball during the match with Orlando Pirates. Photo courtesy of Orlando Pirates X account.
Despite their loss, Ahly secured the second position in the group standings with 10 points, trailing leaders Orlando Pirates by four points. Both teams have already booked their places in the quarterfinals.
Orlando Pirates took the lead in the 53rd minute through Relebohile Mofokeng's left-footed strike from the center of the box.
Ahly's substitute Hussein El Shahat leveled the score with a brilliant lob shot in the 69th minute, before Orlando Pirates' Tshegofatso Mabasa secured the victory with a header seven minutes before the final whistle.
Ahly had a strong start in the first half, with missed opportunities including a header by defender Yasser Ibrahim and two powerful strikes from winger Omar El Saaiy.
Coach Marcel Koller made tactical substitutions, bringing on Mohamed Hany, Hussein El-Shahat, and Karim El Debes.
In injury time, Ahly nearly salvaged a draw as substitute Amr El-Sulaya found the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside, sparking protests from Ahly players.
Wessam Abou Ali's late attempt was blocked by the resolute Orlando Pirates defense.
Koller faced selection challenges with seven key players unavailable for the critical match, including Yahya Attiat-Allah, Achraf Dari, Reda Slim, Taher Mohamed Taher, Karim Fouad, Ali Maaloul (not registered), and Percy Tau, who recently joined Qatar SC.
Ahly will need to regroup and adapt ahead of their upcoming fixtures, while also considering new signings this winter to maintain their competitive edge in both domestic and continental tournaments.
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