Ahli have brought home a record seventh CAF Champions League title by beating Esperance 2-1 in Tunisia to claim a 3-2 aggregate victory. Goals in each half from Geddo and Walid Soliman gave the Egyptian champs a deserved win at Rades Stadium, stretching their record of African titles to seven. Cameroonian striker Yannick N'Djeng pulled one back for the home side near the end but it was only a consolation. It was a vintage performance from Hossam Al-Badri's men, who handed their manager his first away win in 13 matches in Africa. The continental defeat is the first for the Tunisians on home soil since 2005, when they curiously lost 2-1 to Ahli's local rivals Zamalek. Superior Ahli In what appeared to be a surprising decision, Al-Badri decided to give Al-Sayed Hamdi the nod ahead of the legendary Mohamed Abou-Treika in attack. But the unfancied Hamdi, who scored the equalizer in the first leg, repaid his manager's faith with a brilliant assist to Geddo's crucial opener before the break. Hamdi surged from the left taking on a defender before squaring the ball back for Geddo, who clinically dispatched a low shot past the stranded keeper. Ahli remained in charge as Esperance did very little to reply to Geddo's strike until Soliman doubled the lead with another superlative finish in the second half. The left-winger exchanged passes with Geddo before beating Esperance's last man and slotting home past Moez Ben Cherifia with aplomb. Esperance ventured forward and N'Djeng hit an empty net five minutes from the end, but the Tunisians' mild reaction to the goal showed no signs of a possible comeback. The hosts threw men upfront and Ahli should have scored more than a goal near the end, only for Abou-Treika to miss a late penalty for a foul on Dominique da Silva. The Egypt star was superbly denied by the fingertips of Ben Cherifia, but it was no more than a save for the angry Esperance keeper who knew his side have lost the title.
