Close to glory

Ahli are on the verge of winning the African Champions League for a third time. Nasha Abdel-Tawab reports on the possible hat-trick
Egyptian club Ahli looks set to justify its status as Africa's soccer club of the century.
Lucky to be only one goal behind after 58 minutes, the Red Devils from Cairo snatched the equaliser and survived a late scare to grab a 1-1 result their coach Jose Manuel said would guarantee second-leg success and the African crown.
Manuel, a senior Portuguese coach hired at a reported $22,000 a month to revive the glory days of 1982 and 1987 when Ahli were African champions, was cautious. "My team created and can create a lot of opportunities. The only problem is that they do not know what to do when they have a chance to score," he said of a team that has hit the target 19 times in 12 matches en route to the final. "But Ahli managed the match magnificently and deserved victory," he added proudly.
Zambian midfielder Gift Kampamba put Sundowns ahead 26 minutes into the game with a low shot that went in off the post after a run from the centre circle.
But when Jethro "Lovers" Mohlala was caught ball-watching off a Mohamed Farouk cross 13 minutes into the second half, Ahli mid-field skipper Sayed Abdel-Hafeez headed to a slow- reacting goalkeeper John Tlale and the ball landed in the net.
Sundowns were foiled by the woodwork in each half, with Carlo Scott and substitute Lucky Qaba the unfortunate pair, but a lack of imagination in attack cost the South Africans dearly.
Ahli, winner of this premier Pan-African club championship in 1982 and 1987, crowded the midfield after levelling and Sundowns' attempts to break their opponents down were painfully slow and inappropriate.
From the start there was a reluctance among young strikers Scott and Simba Marumo to shoot, and it is difficult to see the Pretoria club surviving the cauldron of Cairo, where the second leg will be staged 21 December. Saturday's game was played at Loftus Versfeld, better known as one of the shrines of South African rugby, whereas the return leg is to be played at the 100,000- seater Cairo Stadium.
Eating between sunrise and sunset is forbidden during this Muslim holy month of Ramadan, forcing Ahli to breakfast at four in the morning. But neither that nor the 1,600-metre (6,000-foot) altitude affected the visitors.
The result was particularly encouraging for the Egyptians because they lacked four regulars. The biggest blow was the injury to international Ibrahim Said. The club decided not to risk further injury to the player after he was knocked on the ankle last Friday in their 2-0 win over Mansoura in the Egyptian league. He was left behind in Cairo to recover for the second leg.
Said's return to Ahli in late October after a six- month suspension, incurred when he fled to Belgium while still under contract with Ahli, has brought with it a maturity level of the game which has been at times missing in this rejuvenated, mostly junior squad. Said scored the goal that ensured Ahli qualified for the semi- finals and was also influential in reaching the final instead of pre-tournament favourites Esperance of Tunisia.
Fellow defender Wael Gomaa, who has emerged as a regular during the Champions League, also sat out the first leg because of suspension after picking up a second caution in the second leg of the semi-final. Diminutive midfielder Wael Riad and striker Khaled Bebo were also suspended but all three would be available for the second leg.
Egyptian clubs Ismaili, Mehalla, Ahli and Zamalek have appeared in 10 Champions League (formerly Champions Cup) finals, winning seven, including a record four successes for Zamalek.
But Ahli could close the gap on its local rival. With a nearly invincible home record of 40 victories, five draws and only two losses, plus a huge 127-20 goal difference in the Champions League, Ahli stand poised for yet another African scalp.
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