Ahli thump Tusker 3-0 to qualify to round of 16

Ahli qualified to the African Champions League round of 16 after giving Kenyan champions Tusker a 3-0 beating in their second-leg that took place in the round of 32 on Friday.

كتب : Omar Shoeb

الجمعة، 31 مارس 2006 - 22:07
Ahli qualified to the African Champions League round of 16 after giving Kenyan champions Tusker a 3-0 beating in their second-leg that took place in the round of 32 on Friday.

Fit-again Osama Hosni opened the score for Ahli in the 27th minute and Mohamed Abdul-Wahab extended the lead in the 82nd minute before Wael Riad sealed their victory in injury time.

Ahli qualified to the round of 16 after an aggregate win of 5-0 after defeating the Kenyan outfit 2-0 in the first-leg thanks to an Emad Meteb brace.

Ahli rose to a vigorous start and came close to opening the score early in the 11th minute after Abdul-Wahad squandered a perfect chance to net the team’s first goal.

Hosni grabbed the lead for Ahli after heading in an Abdul-Wahad corner-kick in the 27th minute.

After the goal, Ahli slowed down their pace surprisingly, which forced coach Manuel Jose to field Angolan striker Flavio Amado replacing Ahmed Hassan to try to get the team to pick up the pace.

Flavio went on to squander two chances to double the lead for Ahli in the 49th and 69th minutes.

Libyan referee Abdullah Salem awarded Tusker a spot-kick in the 80th minute after a Abdul-Wahab tackle, which was saved by Ahli goalkeeper Amir Abdul-Hamid.

Two minutes later, referee Salem awarded Ahli a free-kick at the edge of the Tusker area and Abdul-Wahab fired it into the top far angle.

Riad booked Ahli’s place in the round of 16 with the third goal after connecting a Mahmoud Abdullah cross and firing the ball into the net deep into extra-time.

The Egyptian champions will next face either Guinean club Renacimiento or Malian outfit Stade Malien in the next round.