Al Ahly 2-0 Young Africans: Trezeguet Brace Secures CAF Champions League Victory

Al Ahly delivered a commanding performance at Al Salam Stadium on Friday, 23 January 2026, defeating Young Africans 2-0 in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League. Trezeguet was the hero of the night, scoring both goals to guide the Egyptian giants to a crucial victory in continental competition. The result saw Al Ahly dominate proceedings from start to finish, with Mohamed Hany and Emam Ashour providing the assists for the match-winning goals. The win extends Al Ahly's impressive recent form and puts them in a strong position in the competition.

Match Summary

Al Ahly took control of the match early and broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time. In the 45th minute, Trezeguet opened the scoring with an expertly taken finish, set up by Mohamed Hany's precise assist to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at the break. The Egyptian side maintained their dominance throughout the contest at Al Salam Stadium, controlling possession and creating the better chances against a resilient Young Africans side.

The second half saw Young Africans push forward in search of an equalizer, but Al Ahly remained defensively solid. Mohamed Damaro received a yellow card in the 52nd minute as the Tanzanian outfit's frustration grew. Young Africans made tactical changes with I. Mwenda and Mohamed Damaro substituted in the 57th minute, while Al Ahly responded with Marwan Osman coming off for Nejc Gradišar in the 66th minute. The decisive moment arrived in the 75th minute when Trezeguet doubled the advantage, finishing brilliantly from Emam Ashour's assist to seal the 2-0 victory. Both managers made multiple substitutions in the closing stages, with Al Ahly managing the game professionally to secure all three points.

Stats and Player Ratings

The statistics reflected Al Ahly's superiority, with the hosts enjoying 57% possession compared to Young Africans' 43%. Al Ahly registered 10 shots to their opponents' 9, though Young Africans managed 5 shots on target compared to Al Ahly's 3. The passing accuracy was nearly identical, with Al Ahly completing 564 passes at 85% accuracy versus 416 passes at 84% for the visitors. The expected goals metric favored the hosts at 2.28 xG compared to 1.71 xG, validating the scoreline.

Trezeguet was deservedly named man of the match with an outstanding 9.3/10 rating, contributing both goals and registering 2 shots on target. Yasser Ibrahim earned a 7.7/10 rating for his defensive solidity, while Mohamed Hany, M. Ben Romdhane, and Marwan Attia all received 7.3/10 ratings for their contributions to the victory.

What This Means

This 2-0 result continues Al Ahly's excellent form, making it four wins and one draw in their last five matches across all competitions. The Egyptian powerhouse will look to build on this momentum when they face Young Africans again in the return fixture on 31 January, followed by an away trip to JS Kabylie on 6 February. For Young Africans, despite the defeat, they have shown resilience in recent weeks with three wins in their last five matches. The Tanzanian side will be eager to bounce back when they host Al Ahly in the reverse fixture next week, knowing they must improve to keep their CAF Champions League ambitions alive.