Injury-hit Ahly held to goalless draw against Belouizdad, maintain CL group summit

Ahram Online , Friday 16 Feb 2024

Egyptian powerhouse Ahly were held to a goalless draw by Algeria's Chabab De Belouizdad in the fourth round of Group D at the 5 July Stadium on Friday.

Ahly s energetic midfielder Emam Ashour tries to cut the ball from Belouizdad s Abdelraouf Benguit. Photo: Ahly s official X account.

Despite the stalemate, the Red Devils managed to maintain their position at the top of the group.

The defending champions, grappling with the absence of several key players due to various reasons, struggled to create scoring opportunities against the determined hosts, who maintained control throughout the match. Ahly goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier emerged as the hero for his side, making several crucial saves to deny the hosts from finding the back of the net.

Right-back Houcine Benayada showed early determination for Belouizdad, taking a shot at goal in the 6th minute, but it narrowly missed the mark. Ahly attempted to respond in the 21st minute, with winger Hussein El-Shahat receiving a pass from Akram Tawfik, but his shot sailed above the Algerian goal.

In the 28th minute, Belouizdad's Cameroonian striker Leonel Wamba missed a golden opportunity to score after receiving a cross from Youssef Laouafi, but Ahly defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim intervened, deflecting the ball for a corner. Ahly's French striker Anthony Modeste also failed to capitalize on a cross in the 43rd minute, resulting in a goal kick.

The hosts continued to press forward in the second half, with defender Houcine Benayada unleashing a shot that Shobier managed to deflect for a corner kick. Shobier once again came to his team's rescue, blocking Wamba's bicycle shot in the 46th minute. Belouizdad came close to breaking the deadlock in the 50th minute, with Benayada's free kick striking the post defended by Shobier.

In an attempt to inject fresh energy into the attack, Ahly coach Marcel Koller made substitutions in the 76th minute, introducing Reda Slim, Mohamed "Afsha" Magdy, and Karim Fouad for Hussein El-Shahat, Akram Tawfik, and Taher Mohamed Taher, respectively. However, their impact on the match was limited.

Shobier continued to shine, preventing Youssef Laouafi from scoring in the 82nd minute, turning the shot into a corner.

With this result, Ahly maintain their position at the top of Group D with 6 points, closely followed by Belouizdad and Young Africans, who are one point behind. Medeama currently occupies the bottom spot in the group with 4 points.

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