Ahmed Maher & Osama Khairy: Cairo's streets turned into a sea of 'red' as Ahli's supporters flooded the streets of the capital late on Sunday night to welcome home the African champions. The historic reception saw over 100,000 Ahli supporters take to the street, receiving the team at the airport and marched with the convoy to the club's headquarters in the heart of the capital. Ahli were crowned champions for the second successive time after beating Sfaxien 1-0 in Tunisia. The first-leg in Cairo ended in a 1-1 draw. “We let our fans down in the first-leg, but we did our best to make it up for them in the decisive final,” Ahli skipper Shadi Mohamed told reporters upon arrival.
Ahli's contingent arrived at 3:00 am CLT and the team paraded in a bus amid high security measures and numbers of supporters waving Ahli's fans and chanting victory slogans. The African title was a record equaling one for Ahli who matched arch-rivals Zamalek who also have five Champions League trophies to their name. Ahli, who became the first club to reach the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan for two successive years, have also kept the African trophy for life after winning it twice before in 2001 and 2005, both under coach Manuel Jose.
