Despite Ahli's home win over Esperance in the first leg of the semi-final in the African Champions League, a late goal by the visitors kept Tunisian hopes alive, Ahmed Morsy reports Six-time African champions Ahli of Egypt defeated Tunisia's Esperance 2-1 in the CAF Champions League semi-final first leg match at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday. However, Egyptians and specifically Ahli fans did not celebrate much after the club failed to keep a clean sheet when Esperance's skipper Oussema Darragi's struck what could prove a decisive away goal. An assault by Tunisian supporters which injured two firemen also headlined the encounter. In scenes broadcast live, after Ahli scored their second goal, Tunisian spectators lit flares which are banned in stadiums and started ripping out seats and throwing them onto the pitch. Fire brigade men who tried to douse the ensuing flames were assaulted by the Tunisians. The riots also resulted in 10 police officers being injured. The Egyptian public prosecution has begun questioning 11 Tunisian Esperance fans after they were arrested following the assault. "The destruction of the infrastructure of the stadium will cost LE120,000," Abdel-Aziz Amin, the chairman of Cairo stadium, said. Amin added that some of the Tunisian fans were drunk. "Many of them were drunk and they entered the stadium while hiding flares and fireworks beneath their clothes." In the match, Ahli were missing their left-back Sayed Moawad and forward Mohamed Nagi 'Gedo' owing to injuries while Hossam Ghali is suspended. Ahli came close to opening the scoring in the 29th minute when some neat combination play between Mohamed Fadl and Mohamed Barakat led to a shot narrowly missing the frame of Esperance goalie Wassim Nawara's goal. In the 38th minute, Ahli took the lead thanks to striker Fadl when Nawara parried a free kick that bounced off Fadl to put the Egyptian side in the lead. Controversially, television replays later showed that the ball punched by Nawara hit the hand of the advancing Fadl on its way into the net. In the second half, Ahli wasted several chances for a more comfortable win. This included Fadl blasting wide from inside the box after he was set up by the lively Francis Doe with the Esperance defence caught napping. In the 63rd minute, a defensive error from Esperance and some brilliant interplay by Doe and Mohamed Abu Treika led to a thunderous drive from Ahmed Fathi that doubled the Egyptian champions' lead. Unfortunately, Doe wheeled away later from the pitch, possibly with a broken nose, after a piece of dangerous play by defender Walid Hicheri. While playing 10-men and before the substitution of the injured Doe, Esperance captain Darragi pounced on a poor clearance by Ahli's goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami to give his team a valuable away goal in the 73rd minute. Ahli's forward Ahmed Shoukri replaced Doe while striker Mohamed Talaat was fielded at the expense of Fadl to increase the pressure but in vain. Ahli's coach Hossam El-Badri expressed satisfaction with the win. "It was a hard match and we tried to score more goals but my players failed to finish, especially Barakat and Fadl who had clear chances," said El-Badri. "We conceded the goal because of an immature defensive mistake which we will try to fix ahead of the return leg." El-Badri also praised his Liberian striker Doe for his performance after being criticised on many occasions for fielding the player. "I was criticised many times because of Doe. However, I insisted earlier that Doe only needs a chance to adapt to present his qualities as he is a good player, and now he gifted me by his performance." Fawzi El-Binzarti, the Esperance coach, said he was also happy with the result especially because his team had managed to score one goal. The second leg in Tunis is scheduled to be played on 16 October. In the other semi-final first leg, reigning champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Algerian JS Kabylie 3-1 in sizzling conditions at the Stade de la Kenya in Lubumbashi.
