Staff Reporter.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ winning record in the CAF Champions League group stage came to an end after drawing 2-2 with Al Ahly in Cairo,Egypt on Saturday evening.
The deadlock was broken in the 34th minute when Cassius Mailula set up Peter Shalulile who scored his maiden goal of the season in the Champions League to hand Sundowns the lead.
However, Al Ahly came back rejuvenated after the restart and they were awarded a penalty after Percy Tau was fouled in the box, but Mohamed Hany was superbly denied by Ronwen Williams from the penalty spot.
The saved penalty didn’t deter the Red Eagles as they continued to attack and they managed to level matters through Mohamed Abdelmonem who headed home Ali Maaloul’s cross in the 59th minute.
The momentum was with the hosts who took the lead for the first time in the 74th minute when Hussein El Shahat controlled a long ball from goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy before beating Williams at the near-post.
However, Thapelo Morena had other ideas as the substitute denied Al Ahly a win by snatching a late equalising goal with 10 minutes left and ultimately, the entertaining match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Meanwhile Tanzania’s Simba SC and Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis emerged victorious in the East and North African CAF Champions League derbies respectively on Saturday.
Simba beat Uganda’s Vipers 1-0 at the St. Mary’s Stadium in the outskirts of Kampala in the East African derby in Group C while Esperance beat Egyptian side Zamalek 2-0 in Rades to remain top of Group D.
Elsewhere Zamalek president Mortada Mansour has been sentenced to one month in jail for verbally insulting Al Ahly president Mahmoud El-Khatib.
Al Ahly chairman Mahmoud El-Khatib had filed two defamation cases against Mortada Mansour for the latter’s insulting comments back in 2021.
El-Khatib had previously claimed that Mansour was taking advantage of his parliamentary immunity, which the Zamalek’s president misused.
However, Mansour had lost the Parliamentary elections in late 2020, meaning his immunity had been lifted starting from January 2021.
Having lost two defamation lawsuits brought to court by El-Khatib last August, Mansour was initially sentenced to a year behind bars, before the court lessened the sentence to just one month.
Mansour appealed against the decision; however, he lost his appeal and the one-month sentence has been upheld, meaning the Zamalek president is expected to be transferred to prison within hours.
Mansour reacted to the news on social media, stating: “Finally, the president of the Al Ahly jailed the president of the Zamalek for the first time in the history of the sport.
“The appeal has been refused, pending the decision of the heavenly judge Almighty God. Don’t worry about me, lions are not afraid of death, and they are not afraid of being imprisoned either.
“The plan was to overthrow me in the elections by fraudulent means, before that I was secluded from the Zamalek presidency for four years, after which the board of directors was dissolved, and the fourth step was to send me to prison.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.