(News & Photo from BBC Sport)
Egypt's Al Ahly surprised holders
Esperance of Tunisia with a 2-1 second-leg win to lift the African Champions
League 3-2 on aggregate.
Gedo fired in Al Ahly's opener from 12 yards
shortly before half-time and Walid Soliman doubled their lead just after the
hour mark.
Esperance's Yannick N'djeng pulled a goal back to
set up a tense finish.
Al Ahly had Mohamed Aboutrika's late penalty saved
but held on to become African champions for a seventh time.
Hossam
Ghaly lifted the trophy to seal a remarkable win amid a domestic season in
Egypt that has been postponed indefinitely because of the February stadium
riots that left 74 people dead.
Al
Ahly, who extended their own record for the most African Champions League wins,
will represent the continent at the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan next month.
Esperance
fielded a weakened side due to suspensions and injuries, although Youssef
Msakni returned to the team, just two weeks after undergoing an operation for
appendicitis.
The
Tunisian side were the more defensive in a first half that produced some
flowing football but few goal scoring opportunities.
Ahly
were rewarded for their purpose when Gedo struck on 43 minutes after good work
down the left from Hamdy Al-Sayed, who shook off a defender and cut the ball
back from the goal-line.
Esperance
came into the second half with more urgency, and N'djeng had a shot saved on 53
minutes.
Soliman
made it 2-0 in the 61st minute, hooking the ball over the head of Esperance
defender Mohamed Ben Mansour to leave himself one-on-one with the keeper on the
edge of the box before shooting into the bottom-right corner.
N'djeng
then hit the post, before finally getting his goal with six minutes to go,
side-footing in from six yards - but Esperance still needed two more goals if
they were to retain their title.
Ahly
legend Aboutrika had his penalty pushed past the post by Esperance keeper Moez
Ben Cherifia, who had fouled Ahly's Mauritania striker Dominique Da Silva
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