African football royalty unites in Casablanca for one last dance in the TotalEnergies CAF CL final

Will Wydad Athletic Club be third time lucky, or will Al Ahly finally land their revenge? This is the big question as two of Africa’s best football teams clash in Casablanca in the second leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final.

The two football royalties have clashed in two previous finals, Wydad winning all. In 2017, Wydad won with a 2-1 aggregate score, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Cairo, and a 1-0 win in the return fixture in Casablanca.

Last season, in the one-legged final, Wydad won 2-0 in Casablanca to clinch their third African title.

Heading to Sunday night’s return duel, Ahly travel to Casablanca with a 2-1 headstart from last weekend’s victory at the Cairo International Stadium. While the Red Devils enjoy the lead and only need to avoid defeat in Casablanca, the Red Castle are clinging on to the single away goal scored by Saifeddine Bouhra.

A 1-0 win for Wydad at home on Sunday will be enough to defend their title. However, if Ahly score, then it will complicate matters for the defending champions.

In 12 previous meetings between these two North African giants, Ahly have a better historical record, as they have won five times, two of those victory coming in Morocco while Wydad have won three of their 12 matches, two of them being on home soil.

The rest of the four matches ended in draws. In the 2020 season, Ahly won 2-0 in Casablanca, and hope to repeat the same feat to propel them into their record extending 11th title.

Players to watch:

Al Ahly

Ahly’s biggest potent this season has been their attacking trio of South African superstar Percy Tau, Mahmoud Kahraba and Hussein El Shahat. The trio have scored 15 goals between them, with Tau adding on assists to his goal tally.

The South African has been a big game player for Ahly especially from the quarters until the final, where he has turned up his A-game to move the team a step closer to an 11th crown.

In midfield, Aliou Deng has been the conductor of the orchestra, screening the back four superbly and giving the team steel moving forward. Once again, his huge presence will be of massive importance for Ahly in a crucial fixture.

Wydad Athletic Club

For Wydad, in a game that they desperately need goals, Senegalese forward Bouly Sambou will be the man for the job. The burly forward has scored four goals for Wydad this term, and despite suffering some minor fitness setbacks over the last few matches has a massive role to play in the match.

Midfielder and skipper Yahya Jebrane is another player that is to watch in the final. A leader on and off the pitch, Jebrane’s influence in the team is immeasurable, and his contribution offensively will be key for them to down a stubborn Ahly side.

Zouhair El Moutaraji scored the brace that won Wydad the title last season, and though he has battled injuries to limit his contributions this term, the final might just be another platform for him to erase all that pain with goals for the title.