CAF Champions League: Espérance edge rivals Al Ahly in quarterfinal first leg

Mohamed Amine Tougai converted a penalty kick in the second half on Sunday as hosts Espérance Tunis won 1-0 in the first leg of their CAF Champions League quarterfinal duel with Egyptian champions Al Ahly SC.

🎞️ Match Highlights:
Tougai’s penalty grant ES Tunis a home advantage over Al Ahly FC. #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/D4ZUeykju4

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) March 16, 2026

The Algerian defender sent Ahly goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir the wrong way after right back Mohamed Hany was judged to have handled a cross in his penalty area. A long VAR review led to the only goal in a fierce clash between two North African rivals.

Tunisian giants EST had failed to win in the prevous six clashes between the two clubs, all in the Champions League. However, this time around there is hope for Les Sang et Or, who will face a difficult challenge next Saturday when the second leg takes place in Cairo.

Sunday featured a tight clash that did not promise a lot of goals. Shobeir came up with two reaction saves in the first half while his counterpart on the other end, Bechir Ben Saïd, tipped over a long range effort from Al Ahly playmaker Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”.

There were even fewer opportunities in the second half, but the visitors from Egypt forced Ben Saïd into two saves in quick succession from Achraf Bencharki’s long range effort followed by a header from Emam Ashour.

EST: First CAF Champions League win over Al Ahly since 2018

Shortly after, EST right back Ibrahima Keïta’s cross was not particularly threatening but Hany stuck his arm out at an awkward angle before the ball unexpectedly went off the defender.

The resulting penalty from Tougai was the Tunisian giants’ first goal against their Egyptian rivals since 2018, when the club won 3-0 to overturn a 1-3 first leg deficit and become African club champions.

The Cairo International Stadium will host the second leg. One factor in the Tunisian club’s favor is that the second leg will be played behind closed doors.