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| LIVE UPDATES: Ahly v. Orlando Pirates – CAF Champions League Final |
CAIRO: Al-Ahly faces off against South Africa’s Orlando Pirates today in Cairo’s Arab Contractor Stadium in the final round of the Champions League for the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Fans have been eagerly looking forward to this game, and both teams have prepared intensely for this match.
The current security situation in Cairo was a matter of contentious debate before the match was finalized. Egyptian officials decided in the end to hold the game at the Arab Contractor Stadium, 400km outside of Cairo in order have increased security control over the match. Despite the stadium’s distance from the city, fans still showed up early in the morning.
The distance did not stop Ahly fans from flocking to the stadium as early as possible to secure a seat. Security promised to open the gates at 11 a.m. but did not opened them until 1:30 p.m. Fans stayed those two hours and half in the heat, hoping to get in to the match.
However, when tickets ran out and around half the supports were turned away, enraged fans clashed violently with security forces, who responded with tear gas.
One fan said that the security “tried to prevent us from coming to support our team, but we made it all the way to here to support our team, and we’ll do it,” he told The Cairo Post.
UPDATES:
7:50 p.m.: Abu Trika substituted out. 4 minutes extended overtime.
7:40 p.m.: Shrief Abdul Fadil takes a red card and is sent off the field.
7:36 p.m.: 2-0 Ahly, score by Ahmed Abdul Zaheer.
7:30 p.m.: Ahly’s first sustitute, Ahmed Shedid replaces Walid Soliman.
7:24 p.m.: Ahly’s Ahmed Abdel-Zaher takes a strong kick but misses the goal.
7:14 p.m.: Fans light first firecrackers after the first goal.
7:12 p.m.: First goal for Al-Ahly, Abo Trieka. Score at 1-0.
7:05 p.m.: Second half begins of the CAF Champions League Final.
6:45 p.m.: End of first half still 0-0. The game looks balanced, with both teams keen on winning.
6:35 p.m.: Segolela wastes another opportunity for the Pirates.
6:30 p.m.: 0-0 with a balanced, strong-game.
6:20 p.m.: Pirates waste another chance, blocked by Ekrami.
6:16 p.m.: Third try for Ahly to get close to Orlando goal. Ahly still in control of the game.
6 p.m.: The game started.
5:50 p.m.: Minutes before the game starts, Al-Ahly fans showing strong support for their team
5:30 p.m.: Al-Ahly faces Olrando pirates with same players’ distribution from the first leg.
4:30 p.m.: Al-Ahly arrived the stadium, and began warm up.
Video of the clashes from Al-Ahly official news:
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eGaH9jx_q0c
