Cairo: CAF Champions League semifinal second leg between Zamalek and Raja Casablanca concluded on Wednesday night.
Zamalek arrived with a minimal advantage of 1-0 from the first game in Morocco, but it was Raja who looked fantastic at the first half. It seemed like they wanted it more. While Zamalek hasn't dropped one single blood drop on the pitch, the Rajawyis were first to almost every ball.
It was a tremendous effort by a team that only a week ago 75% of their squad was positive with COVID-19 and couldn’t practice in a full roster. But it didn’t interrupt the Moroccans to play with great pace, keeping Zamalek irritated and bothered throughout the first hour. The wet field also contributed to the good rhythm of the game. Only fans were missed to call it an African Champions League classic.
READ: CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIRST LEG SEMIFINAL SUMMARY
On the beginning of the first half, Ben Malango, the powerful Congolese striker of Raja managed to score a nice goal and make 0-1 to the Greens.
But on the 61st minute, Raja’s engine shut down. It was too much for the team who didn’t practice consistently since the pandemic outbreak.
Ferjani Sassi, the Tunisian cultured midfielder, one fo the best in Africa, has equalized with a fantastic shot. From this moment, it was all Zamalek.
Mostafa Mohamed scores an absolute flying header in the 85th to make 2-1 Zamalek, and 3-1 in aggregate.
This was it. Zamalek killed the game in the final minute with another one by Mohamed who made it 3-1 (4-1) and Raja’s players were falling off their legs.
It was amazing to watch Mohamed. His transformation from a nice, talented boy, to an African powerhouse striker that nets a brace in CAF Champions League semis, was taking place in front of the continent’s eyes.
Achraf Bencharki managed to chip another goal in the stoppage time, but it was later ruled out for offside.
Zamalek won and determined immediate history: for the first time, the CAF Champions League final will host two teams from the same country.
How symbolic, that from all this amazing football continent, these two, will Al-Ahly and Zamalek.
It is worth indicating that Zamalek won this match while playing in ‘third gear’, while Raja was on four pushing to five at times. Nothing but respect to the Rajawys, and the referees are always to blame in these cases with some bizarre calls and decisions throughout both legs, but these Champions League semis between Egyptian and Moroccan teams were a good indication for the current gap between the four biggest clubs in Africa at the moment.
Photo via CAF official Twitter account.
