Al Ahli Tripoli edged out Al Ittihad by a solitary goal in a closely contested Libyan derby on Sunday to progress to the semi-final of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
Tunisian midfielder Ayoub Ayed scored in the 19th minute to hand Ahli the victory and book them a slot in the semis with a date against South Africa’s Orlando Pirates waiting.
The first leg played last weekend ended in a barren draw and there was all to play for in the return, with home side Ahli doing the most crucial bit to get victory and earn themselves a place in the last four.
After a period of sustained pressure, Ayed broke the deadlock in the 19th minute with a smashing shot into the roof of the net after the Ittihad keeper had spilled a cross graciously into his path inside the box.
Ahli were the better starters and had more chances after the goal with Omar El Khoudja coming close with a snap shot that narrowly missed the target on the half hour mark while Muad Eisay saw an effort saved by the keeper six minutes later.
In the second half, Ittihad tried to raise the tempo in a bid to claw back into the match. The closest they came though was when a header at the backpost was cleared off the line by Ahmed El Trbi in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Source: CAF
Shuaeeb Is a seasoned sportswriter, social worker, and philanthropist. He has been renowned for his support of disabled sports persons and championing for equal rights and opportunities for all sports persons. He currently does sports volunteering and disability support work aside from writing for this August media.
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