Al Ahly 2-3 ES Tunis: Stunning Comeback Sees Tunisian Giants Snatch Quarter-Final Victory

ES Tunis produced a sensational comeback to defeat Al Ahly 2-3 at the Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in a thrilling TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-finals encounter. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, the Egyptian giants were undone by clinical finishing from the visitors in a dramatic second-half collapse that saw ES Tunis score three times after the break to overturn a 1-0 deficit. The result represents a significant upset in the competition and puts the Tunisian side in pole position ahead of the second leg.

Match Summary

Al Ahly started brightly and took a deserved lead in the 10th minute when Trezeguet found the net to give the home side an early advantage. The Egyptian champions controlled proceedings throughout the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break. However, the second half told a completely different story as ES Tunis emerged transformed after the interval.

The visitors leveled matters in the 68th minute through F. Danho, who delivered an outstanding performance with a match rating of 8.0/10. The momentum shifted dramatically as M. Tougai converted a penalty in the 78th minute to put ES Tunis ahead for the first time. An unfortunate own goal from H. Jelassi in the 84th minute briefly gave Al Ahly hope of salvaging a draw, but Jelassi redeemed himself spectacularly by scoring the winner in the 90th minute to complete a remarkable turnaround.

The match saw numerous tactical substitutions from both sides, with Al Ahly introducing Aliou Dieng and Hady Reyad in the 76th minute, while ES Tunis brought on K. Boualia to shore up their lead. Disciplinary issues arose late in the match, with yellow cards shown to M. Tougai (63'), I. Keita (70'), Houssem Teka (89'), and Mohamed Hany (90').

Stats and Player Ratings

Al Ahly dominated the statistical battle with 67% possession compared to ES Tunis' 33%, and completed 565 passes at 88% accuracy versus 287 passes at 75% for the visitors. The home side registered 16 total shots with 9 on target, while ES Tunis managed 10 shots with 7 on target. Despite an impressive Expected Goals (xG) of 3.75 for Al Ahly compared to 2.38 for the visitors, it was the Tunisian side who demonstrated superior clinical finishing when it mattered most.

F. Danho earned the man of the match accolade with an 8.0/10 rating, scoring once and registering 2 shots on target. Trezeguet impressed for Al Ahly with a 7.7/10 rating, netting the opener and recording 4 shots on target. B. Ben Saïd (7.6/10) and H. Jelassi (7.5/10) also excelled for ES Tunis, with the latter scoring the decisive goal despite his earlier own goal.

What This Means

This quarter-final first leg result gives ES Tunis a crucial advantage heading into the second leg, extending their impressive recent form of four wins and a draw in their last five matches. For Al Ahly, despite their strong recent run including victories over Aigle Noir and JS Kabylie, this home defeat represents a significant setback in their quest for continental glory. ES Tunis will next face Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals on April 10th at home, followed by the away leg on April 17th, as they continue their pursuit of Champions League success. The Egyptian giants must now produce a memorable performance in Tunisia to overturn this deficit and keep their campaign alive.