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Al-Ahly beat Sunshine in Cairo

It’s the end of the road for Nigeria’s campaigner; Sunshine Stars in this year’s CAF Champions League as the Akure football club have crashed out … Continue reading Al-Ahly beat Sunshine in Cairo


It’s the end of the road for Nigeria’s campaigner; Sunshine Stars in this year’s CAF Champions League as the Akure football club have crashed out of Africa’s biggest club competition.

A first-half goal from Al-Ahly’s Mohamed Nagy was enough to send the Egyptian giants through to the finals, having played a 3-all draw in the first leg in Nigeria.

Sunshine Stars crashed out 3-4 on aggregate.

The game, which was played behind closed doors, was initially delayed after Egyptian fans had harassed the visitors before entry to the June 30 Stadium.

The hosts took the lead after 28 minutes when Nagy’s shot was deflected past goalkeeper Moses Ocheje.

The record six-time African champions Al-Ahly has thus booked a final clash with arch-rivals and defending champions Esperance of Tunisia who knocked out TP Mazembe by a lone goal on Saturday.

The final will be staged over two legs in November with a two week break between fixtures.

The champions will pocket $1.5 million plus a place at the 2012 Club World Cup in Japan.

Trapped in hotel

A protest by Egyptian soccer players angered at the suspension of their domestic league briefly prevented Sunshine Stars from leaving their Cairo hotel on Sunday for an African Champions League match against local side Al Ahli.

Domestic leagues were suspended after a February 1 soccer stadium disaster in which 74 people were killed.

The latest postponement was announced last week by the Egyptian Football Association, the second delay to the new season which should have started in September.

Witnesses said the players and their supporters had marched to the Egyptian presidential palace to press their demand for a resumption of the league before heading to a nearby hotel where the visiting Nigerian team were staying.

They clashed with Al-Ahly fans who arrived at the scene in an effort to make sure the Nigerian players could get to the ground, witnesses said, fearing otherwise Al Ahly would be automatically disqualified.

The protesters and fans scuffled and threw rocks before the clashes abated and the Nigerian side left for the match, the second leg of the African Champions League semi-final.

The hardcore Ahly fans, or “ultras”, involved in Sunday’s trouble are the same group that has been demanding the postponement of the domestic league until they see justice has been served over the February stadium disaster in Port Said.

Many of the dead were Ahly fans who had travelled to Port Said for the away match against Al Masry. The government was blamed for failing to send enough police to the game, many fans believing the trouble was sparked by hired thugs.