El Motie heroics see Wydad survive penalties to reach semis
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Goalkeeper Youssef El Motie carried the hero’s tag of the night, saving two penalties as defending champions Wydad Athletic Club beat Tanzania’s Simba SC 4-3 on post-match penalties to make the semi-final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The game had to be decided from 12 yards out after Wydad won the return fixture 1-0 in Casablanca, to tie the aggregate score at 1-1.
It was the reserve keeper El Motie who ensured they remained in course to defend their crown.
El Motie started in place of the usual starter Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti who missed with injury and he proved himself, saving Shomari Kapombe and Clatous Chama’s penalties as Wydad progressed.
Erasto Nyoni, Saidi Ntibazonkiza and Moses Phiri scored for Wekundu wa Msimbazi.
Wydad did not miss any of their efforts as they expertly slotted home four spotkicks and didn’t need to go into the fifth after Chama’s miss.
Skipper Yahya Jebrane, Ayoub El Amloud, Amine Abdoulfath and Abdellah Haimoud all tucked home their efforts with military precision.
Burly forward Bouly Sambou’s seventh goal of the campaign ensured the game went into penalties. The striker, who joined the Moroccan champions at the start of the season headed home in the 24th minute after Kapombe’s clearance of Yahya Attiat Allah’s cross fell kindly into his path.
He could have scored a second in the 32nd minute but another header off a Hicham Boussefiane cross was well saved by the Simba keeper.
In the second half, Simba kept their defensive shape, allowing Wydad to keep the ball, but they never created much danger, the game being forced to roll into penalties.
For the semis, the Red Castle will take on the winner between Mamelodi Sundowns and CR Belouizdad who play in Pretoria on Saturday.
