2017 CAF Champions League Final

The 2017 CAF Champions League Final was the final of the 2017 CAF Champions League, the 53rd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 21st edition under the current CAF Champions League title.

2017 CAF Champions League Final
Mohamed V Stadium hosted the podium where Wydad Casablanca lifted the trophy
Event2017 CAF Champions League
Al-Ahly Wydad Casablanca
1 2
on aggregate
First leg
Al-Ahly Wydad Casablanca
1 1
Date28 October 2017 (2017-10-28)
VenueBorg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria
RefereeBamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)[1]
Attendance60,000
Second leg
Wydad Casablanca Al-Ahly
1 0
Date4 November 2017 (2017-11-04)
VenueStade Mohammed V, Casablanca
RefereeBakary Gassama (Gambia)[2]
Attendance65,000

The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Al-Ahly of Egypt and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.[3] The first leg was hosted by Al-Ahly at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on 28 October 2017, while the second leg was hosted by Wydad Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on 4 November 2017. The winner earned the right to represent the CAF at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage, as well as play in the 2018 CAF Super Cup against the winner of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.[4]

After the first leg ended in a 1–1 draw,[5] Wydad Casablanca defeated Al-Ahly 1–0 in the second leg to win 2–1 on aggregate, and were crowned African champions for the second time.[6]

Teams

In the following table, finals until 1996 were in the African Cup of Champions Club era, since 1997 were in the CAF Champions League era.

Team Zone Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Al-Ahly UNAF (North Africa) 10 (1982, 1983, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013)
Wydad Casablanca UNAF (North Africa) 2 (1992, 2011)

Al-Ahly is the most successful club with 8 titles reaching a total of eleven finals, winning eight (1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013) and losing two (1983, 2007).

Wydad Casablanca had reached the final of the African Cup of Champions Clubs twice, winning one in 1992 and losing another in 2011. They were the first Moroccan side to reach the final of Africa's premier club championship since 2011 and also the only Moroccan side to reach this round since 2002 after Raja Casablanca.

Venues

Borg El Arab Stadium
Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria, Egypt, hosted the first leg.

The Borg Elarab stadium is a stadium commissioned in 2006 in the Mediterranean Sea resort of Borg elarab; 25 km west of Alexandria, Egypt. It is the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest in Africa (after FNB Stadium in Johannesburg) with a capacity of 86,000[7] and is an all-seater. It is also the 27th largest stadium in the world, and the 9th largest association football stadium in the world. It is located on the Cairo-Alexandria desert highway 10 km from Borg Elarab Airport and 15 km from Alexandria's city centre. A running track runs around the pitch, and the ground has four large floodlights. Only one stand is covered by a roof.

Stade Mohammed V
Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca,Morocco, hosted the second leg.

The Stade Mohammed V (Arabic: مركب محمد الخامس‎) is part of a big athletic complex situated in the heart of the city of Casablanca, Morocco, in the western part of Casablanca district. It was inaugurated March 6, 1955, and currently has a capacity of 67,000.

The stadium's record attendance of 100,000[8] was set in 1997, in a football match between Raja Casablanca and their rivals Wydad.

Often hosting the games of the Morocco national football team, the Mohammed V Stadium is equally known as the home of Wydad Casablanca and Raja Casablanca. It is named after King Mohammed V of Morocco.

Road to the final
Further information: 2017 CAF Champions League

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Al-Ahly Round Wydad Casablanca
Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg Qualifying rounds Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg
Bidvest Wits 1–0 1–0 (H) 0–0 (A) First round CF Mounana 1–1 (5–4 p) 1–0 (H) 0–1 (A)
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
Zanaco 0–0 (H) Matchday 1 Coton Sport 2–0 (H)
Coton Sport 2–0 (A) Matchday 2 Zanaco 0–1 (A)
Wydad Casablanca 2–0 (H) Matchday 3 Al-Ahly 0–2 (A)
Wydad Casablanca 0–2 (A) Matchday 4 Al-Ahly 2–0 (H)
Zanaco 0–0 (A) Matchday 5 Coton Sport 2–0 (A)
Coton Sport 3–1 (H) Matchday 6 Zanaco 1–0 (H)
Group D Runner-up
Pos Team Pld Pts
1 Wydad Casablanca 6 12
2 Al-Ahly 6 11
3 Zanaco 6 11
4 Coton Sport 6 0
Source: CAF
 Final standings Group D winner
Pos Team Pld Pts
1 Wydad Casablanca 6 12
2 Al-Ahly 6 11
3 Zanaco 6 11
4 Coton Sport 6 0
Source: CAF
Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg Knockout stage Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg
Espérance de Tunis 4–3 2–2 (H) 2–1 (A) Quarter-finals Mamelodi Sundowns 1–1 (3–2 p) 0–1 (A) 1–0 (H)
Étoile du Sahel 7–4 1–2 (A) 6–2 (H) Semi-finals USM Alger 3–1 0–0 (A) 3–1 (H)

Format

The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the order of legs decided by an additional draw held after the group stage draw, which was held on 26 April 2017.[9] If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still tied, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (Regulations III. 26 & 27).[4]

Matches

First leg

Amine Atouchi (Wydad Casablanca) missed the first leg after picking up a red card in the second leg of their semi-final against USM Alger.

Zakaria scored for Al-Ahly in the third minute after he received a pass outside the penalty area before quickly unleashing a shot with his left foot into the back of the net. Wydad Casablanca then replied with a goal of their own when Ounajem broke through on the right flank and delivered a ball for Bencharki to head in the equaliser.[10]

Al-Ahly 1–1 Wydad Casablanca
 Report
Attendance: 60,000
Al-Ahly
Wydad Casablanca
GK1 Sherif Ekramy (c)
RB24 Ahmed Fathy
CB20 Saad Samir
CB23 Mohamed Naguib
LB21 Ali Maâloul
CM17 Amr El Solia
CM3 Ramy Rabia 78'
RW8 Moamen Zakaria
AM19 Abdallah El Said
LW28 Junior Ajayi 63'
CF12 Walid Azaro
Substitutes:
GK26 Mohamed El Shenawy
DF7 Hussein El Sayed
DF30 Mohamed Hany
MF11 Walid Soliman 63' 86'
MF16 Ahmed Hamoudi 78'
FW10 Emad Moteab 86'
FW15 Ahmed El Sheikh
Manager:
Hossam El-Badry
GK22 Zouheir Laaroubi 90+2'
RB28 Abdelatif Noussir
CB13 Youssef Rabeh
CB25 Mohamed Ouattara
LB8 Badr Gaddarine
DM6 Brahim Nekkach (c) 72'
RM7 Mohamed Ounajem 27'
CM18 Walid El Karti
CM4 Salaheddine Saidi 63'
LM11 Ismail Haddad 83'
CF17 Achraf Bencharki
Substitutes:
GK12 Badreddine Benachour
DF16 Naïm Aarab
DF27 Zakaria El Hachimi
MF2 Anas El Asbahi
MF9 Mohammed Aoulad
MF26 Abdeladim Khadrouf 27'
FW10 Guillaume Nicaise Daho 83'
Manager:
Hussein Amotta

Assistant referees:
Olivier Safari Kabene (DR Congo)
Waleed Ahmed Ali (Sudan)
Fourth official:
Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)

Second leg

Both sides were without some key players through injury for the decisive match. Mohamed Ounajem (Wydad Casablanca) strained his thigh during the first leg and Ali Maâloul (Al-Ahly) was also out with groin injuries.

In the second leg, El Karti scored for Wydad Casablanca the winning goal with a header in the 69th minute from a precise cross delivered by Bencharki.[11]

Wydad Casablanca 1–0 Al-Ahly
 Report
Attendance: 65,000
Wydad Casablanca
Al-Ahly
GK22 Zouheir Laaroubi 90+3'
RB28 Abdelatif Noussir
CB13 Youssef Rabeh 40'
CB5 Amine Atouchi
LB8 Badr Gaddarine
RM26 Abdeladim Khadrouf 83' 86'
CM18 Walid El Karti
CM6 Brahim Nekkach (c)
CM4 Salaheddine Saidi
LM11 Ismail Haddad 90+3'
CF17 Achraf Bencharki
Substitutes:
GK12 Badreddine Benachour
DF16 Naïm Aarab
DF25 Mohamed Ouattara 90+3'
DF27 Zakaria El Hachimi 86'
MF24 Jamel Aït Ben Idir
FW9 Mohammed Aoulad
FW10 Guillaume Nicaise Daho
Manager:
Hussein Amotta
GK1 Sherif Ekramy (c)
RB30 Mohamed Hany
CB3 Ramy Rabia
CB20 Saad Samir
LB7 Hussein El Sayed 77'
CM17 Amr El Solia 77'
CM24 Ahmed Fathy 39' 72'
RW8 Moamen Zakaria 67'
AM19 Abdallah El Said
LW28 Junior Ajayi 22'
CF12 Walid Azaro 60'
Substitutes:
GK26 Mohamed El Shenawy
DF6 Sabri Raheel
DF23 Mohamed Naguib
MF11 Walid Soliman 77'
MF16 Ahmed Hamoudi 85' 60'
FW10 Emad Moteab 72'
FW15 Ahmed El Sheikh
Manager:
Hossam El-Badry

Assistant referees:
Jean-Claude Birumushahu (Burundi)
Marwa Range (Kenya)
Fourth official:
Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

See also

References
  1. "2017 CAF Champions League Cup - Final (1st leg)". FIFA Referees News. 28 October 2017.
  2. "Bakary Gassama to officiate CAF Champions League final return-leg". Kingfut. 24 October 2017.
  3. "History Ahly favours against Wydad in epic final". Confédération Africaine de Football. 26 October 2017.
  4. "CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REGULATIONS" (PDF). Confédération Africaine de Football.
  5. "Wydad recover from early shock to hold Ahly". Confédération Africaine de Football. 28 October 2017.
  6. "Wydad are African champions again after 25 years". Confédération Africaine de Football. 4 November 2017.
  7. "The boys are ready", Al-Ahram Weekly, Al-Ahram Publishing House (965), 17–23 September 2009, archived from the original on 10 October 2010, retrieved 6 June 2010
  8. http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/mar/stade_mohammed_v
  9. "Total Champions League 2017: fixtures of the group matches" (PDF). CAF.
  10. "Al Ahly, Wydad share spoils in first leg". FIFA. 28 October 2017.
  11. "Wydad crowned African champions". FIFA. 4 November 2017.
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