Al Ahly of Egypt became the first club to score six goals in a CAF Champions League semi-final match as they crushed Etoile Sahel of Tunisia 6-2 in Alexandria Sunday to reach the title decider.
The record eight-time champions qualified 7-4 on aggregate to face Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the two-leg final with the first match in Egypt next weekend.
After Etoile established a 2-1 first-leg lead in Tunisia last month, the return match at the 85,000-seat Borg El Arab Stadium was expected to an equally tight affair.
But it took Ahly just two minutes to grab the lead at home with Tunisian Ali Maaloul slamming a free-kick past experienced goalkeeper Ayman Mathlouthi.
Moroccan Walid Azaro headed two goals off crosses to earn Ahly a 3-0 half-time advantage and he completed a hat-trick just three minutes into the second half.
Rami Bedoui pulled one goal back for rattled one-time Champions League title-holders Etoile before rampant Ahly scored twice more.
Hamdi Nagguez conceded an own-goal and Rami Rabia made it 6-1 just past the hour mark to give Ahly a place in the record books.
Iheb Msakni scored a second Etoile goal a minute from time, but it was irrelevant as Ahly had already booked a place in the final.
Achraf Bencharki bagged a brace as Wydad defeated USM Alger of Algeria 3-1 in Casablanca Saturday after a goalless first leg last month.
The elite African club competition was known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs from 1964 until 1997 when the name was changed to the CAF Champions League.
AFP
