Al-Ahly of Egypt clinched the top spot in Group Two in the African Champions League with a goalless draw with the Royal Moroccan Army in Cairo, snatching the two teams’ qualification tickets to the quarter-finals, amid the remarkable brilliance of El-Geish’s goalkeeper Teknaouti and Al-Ahly fielding Youssef Belamri Qaria for the first time.
Published on: 02/16/2026 - 03:33 Last updated: 02/16/2026 - 07:41
The Egyptian Al-Ahly and Moroccan Royal Army teams completed the qualification for the quarter-finals of the African Champions League, after their goalless draw on Sunday at Cairo International Stadium in front of about sixty thousand spectators, at the end of the group stage competitions.
Al-Ahly qualified for the quarter-finals at the top of the second group with 10 points, while the Royal Army reserved the second ticket after finishing the round in second place with nine points. Tanzania's Young Africans finished third with eight points after defeating Algeria's JS Kabylie 3-0, while the Algerian team finished at the bottom of the standings with three points.
On the field, Al-Ahly imposed its control for most of the match, especially in the first half, and its players created several dangerous chances through Tunisian Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan, Malian Aliou Dieng and Taher Mohamed Taher. However, the skill of the veteran Moroccan goalkeeper Ahmed Reda Al-Taknaouti, and the intervention of defender Marouane Louadni, who removed Dieng’s ball from the goal line in the 39th minute, kept the net clean.
Read also: CAF Champions League: Trezeguet puts Egypt’s Al-Ahly at the top of its group with a 2-0 win over Tanzania’s Young Africans
In the second half, Al-Ahly's technical director resorted to making several changes, including the return of Imam Ashour to participate after the end of his sentence, in addition to the inclusion of Hussein Al-Shahat, Camouche, and Youssef Belamri, who played his first continental match with an Al-Ahly shirt.
After the final whistle, Belamri explained that Al-Ahly faced a strong competitor the size of the Royal Army, pointing out that the team succeeded in imposing its style on the course of play and ensuring the lead in the group, considering that this represents an important step in the tournament’s journey. He stated that the fans had a usual positive influence in supporting the players, but he pointed out that the lack of success prevented the many opportunities from being translated into goals that would have been enough to achieve victory.
As for the upcoming rounds, Belamri stressed that the team will prepare strongly for the decisive stages regardless of the name of the competitor, stressing that the players’ focus is on dealing with each confrontation separately, with the aim of ultimately achieving the crowning of the African Champions League title.
France 24/AFP
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