Egypt's two powerhouse football clubs Ahly and Zamalek caught up with their Moroccan rivals as the four sides cruised to victories in the African Champions League quarter-finals first leg matches. Zamalek's scenario in the 2020 Super Cup in Doha two weeks ago when they bagged the cup after beating Tunisia's Esperance 3-1 was repeated here in Cairo when they beat Esperance again 3-1 in Cairo on Friday. Esperance's Abdel Raouf Benguit opened the scoring for the visitors in the 27th minute while Zamalek's Mohamed Ounnajem equalised four minutes later. Achraf Bencharki put Zamalek ahead after 72 minutes, and deep into injury time, Mahmoud Alaa made it 3-1 for Zamalek, scoring from the spot to give the five-time champions Zamalek a vital home win. Esperance finished the game with 10 men after Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane received his marching orders for protesting right after Zamalek's winner. Demanding that the goal be disallowed for what they deemed a foul by Bencharki on Khalil Chemmam in the build-up, Esperance players harangued the referee, with Chamseddine Dhaouadi pulling the shirt of referee Radwan Gayed. The Moroccan official sent off Romdhane in an apparent case of mistaken identity, with Esperance eventually paying the price of playing with one man down as Zamalek added the third in stoppage time. On the other hand, Tunisian left back Ali Maaloul struck twice within 12 minutes in the second half to give home side Ahly a precious 2-0 advantage over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Cairo International Stadium. Ahly controlled the ball almost throughout most of the match and had more chances to avenge their crushing 5-0 loss to Sundowns last season, the biggest ever continental defeat for the record eight-time winners. The stands on Saturday were packed with Ahly spectators who reached 30,000. Sundowns entertain Ahly on Saturday in Pretoria, needing three unanswered goals to qualify. Ahly's influential winger Ramadan Sobhi is still two weeks short of recovery, with the team likely to do without him once again in the vital clash away to Sundowns, according to his agent. Sobhi, who is on a season-long loan at his boyhood club from English side Huddersfield Town, has been out of action since injuring a hamstring muscle in December. “Ahly's initial estimate was not accurate… Sobhi's period of absence would extend to 10 weeks after he aggravated the injury,” his agent Nader Shawki told the press. His absence deprives Ahly of much needed creativity. With a double header from Mohammed Nahiri, Moroccan Wydad, finalists of last season's Champions League, beat Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel 2-0 in their first leg at the Complex Mohamed V in Casablanca. For Wydad's Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido it was a special victory as it was his first time with the team and against his rivals and former employers. Morocco's Raja needed two headed goals to see out TP Mazembe of DR Congo who came in as favourites. Ben Malango opened the score for Raja just six minutes from the kickoff. Malango, who used to excel with Mazembe, refused to celebrate out of respect for his former club. Zamalek defending their African hopes in Cairo Badr Benoun doubled Raja's lead to send the stands into a frenzy. Five-time champions Mazembe will have a hard time winning the return leg as Raja will defend their two-goal lead with everything they've got to secure a place in the Champions League's final four for the first time since 2005. In the second-tier African championship, the Confederation Cup, Pyramids of Egypt crushed their experienced Zambian hosts Zanaco 3-0 at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Goals were scored by Ali Gabr after just 18 minutes, taking the hosts by surprise followed by teammate Mohamed Farouk who doubled the score for Pyramids. Skipper Abdullah Al-Said scored from the spot after 68 minutes. Pyramids need to keep their net clean in Cairo next week when they meet Zanaco in 30th June Stadium to reach their first ever semifinal in their first CAF appearance. Egypt's Masri drew 2-2 with Morocco's RS Berkane in Suez. Mouhssine Lajour opened the scoring a minute before the break, but for Muftah Taktak to restore parity less than a minute into the second half. Berkane's goalkeeper Zouheir Laaroubi scored into his own net to give the hosts the lead at the hour mark, but Lajour headed home eight minutes from time as last season losing finalists returned home with a valuable draw. Lajour, who previously donned the colours of Morocco's giants Raja and Wydad and compatriots Moghreb Tetouane, raised his overall tally in CAF interclub competitions to 34 goals, settling himself as one of the continent's prolific strikers. Masri have now to score and avoid conceding away in Berkane if they are to qualify for the semi-finals. *A version of this article appears in print in the 5 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
