CAF Women’s Champions League: Sabry heroics earn FC Masar opening-day point against AS FAR

Goalkeeper Habiba Sabry produced a standout display as FC Masar held 2022 champions AS FAR to a 0-0 draw in Ismailia on Saturday, banking a valuable opening-day point in the CAF Women’s Champions League. 

Under sustained pressure for long spells, the Egyptian hosts stayed compact and disciplined, with Sabry’s reflexes and positioning repeatedly denying the Moroccan side.

AS FAR set the tempo from the start, dominating possession and forcing Masar into a low block. The visitors pressed high and looked to quicken the game in wide areas, but Masar’s back line protected the penalty area well and Sabry dealt cleanly with everything that did pierce the first line of defence.

Chances were scarce in a tight first half. AS FAR enjoyed territorial control, stitched together several promising combinations around the edge of the box and probed with long-range efforts, yet clear openings were limited.

When required, Sabry’s handling was secure and her decision-making assured, an early signal of the decisive role she would play as the evening wore on.

After the break, the game tilted further towards the Moroccan side as they upped the speed of their passing and the frequency of their deliveries from the flanks.

The first big warning for Masar arrived when Mssoudy burst down the right and drove a powerful effort from the edge of the area that zipped narrowly past the far post. It was the sort of moment that underlined AS FAR’s growing menace, even if the finish was just off target.

AS FAR then threatened again through Doha El Madani, who found a pocket of space in a congested box, shaped her body cleverly and sent a half-volley arrowing towards the roof of the net. Sabry reacted superbly, springing to tip the ball over the bar in one of the save-of-the-match contenders and drawing roars from the home support.

The defining intervention arrived on 71 minutes. Slipped in by a threaded pass, an AS FAR forward broke beyond the last defender and looked set to win it, only for Sabry to rush from her line, narrow the angle and block bravely.

The goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt and, in doing so, seemed to lift her team-mates, who tightened their lines again for the run-in.

The closing stages were tense and played mostly in Masar territory. AS FAR kept circulating the ball in front of a packed defensive screen, switching play to drag markers out and seeking the late cut-back that might break the deadlock.

Masar, however, remained well-organised and resilient, with centre-backs stepping out at the right moments and the midfield screening diligently.

Even in stoppage time, the drama lingered. A low cut-back from the right was met firmly inside the area, only for Sabry to parry instinctively and smother the rebound, preserving the clean sheet her performance deserved. For all the visitors’ fluency and pressure, the final decisive touch would not come.

In pure balance-of-play terms, AS FAR will feel two points slipped away: they controlled possession, worked good scenarios in wide areas and engineered the evening’s best openings. But in tournament football, an opening draw away to a prepared and organised host can still prove serviceable—especially when there are five group matches to play.