Dec 21 1730 GMTAl
Ahly- Sundowns 3:0 (final, 1st leg 1:1)
*Al Ahly
are Champions League winners 2001
Al Ahly (Cairo, Egypt) -
Mamelodi Sundowns (Pretoria, South Africa)
1st half:
-a packed stadium, both
teams in their traditional outfits (see first leg), Al Ahly begin attacking
-('4) a first half chance
for the home team, a weak shot only
-('5) followed by first
excitement on the other side when the Egyptian keeper has some problems
with a cross
-('7) Al Ahly with a free
kick from the edge of the penalty area, saved, a scene which is immediately
followed by a through ball on #9 Khaled Beebo (the same player who had
already provoked the free kick) who dribbles past the keeper but the angle
to the goal is too tight and a defender can intercept his attempt
-Al Ahly attack and Sundowns
play a few counter attacks
-('15) Al Ahly paly good
through balls against the offside trap and the South African keeper has
to save a diagonal shot
-there are also passages
when Sundowns try to build up from the back in which Ahly draw back and
attack the Sundowns players already in midfield making it hard work to
get through to the penalty area
--but most of the game
sees Al Ahly attacking with several players and Sundowns going for the
quick through counter attack
-('27) Al Ahly keeper Hadary
has to save a first real dangerous shot by Sundowns. Although the guests
have not had many goal scenes, it seems unlikely this match could end up
scoreless from their side
-('36) Al Ahly #9 Khaled
Beebo dribbles into the penalty area, moves past a defender, there seems
to be contact, he falls, the ref says penalty
-('37) Beebo converts
the penalty with a low shot into the left corner from his pint of view
- 1:0
-('41) Sundowns low shot
from outside the penalty area goes wide
-Al Ahly are now dangerous
themselves with quick attacks
-('45) a player breaks
through on the right hand side and makes a diagonal pass back to #9 Beebo
who makes a low shot from about 10 meters into the same corner as his penalty
- 2:0
halftime 2:0
Al Ahly tactics of attacking
has proved the right idea although there had been a period in the middle
of the half in which the Egyptians had to draw back a bit. Alltogether
the South Africans have acted a little unlucky yet.
2nd half:
-('46) Al Ahly begin with
a big concentration error. In ball possession the last Al Ahly defender
wants to stop a back pass but misses the ball. The consequence: A Sundowns
player takes the ball, fires immediately, but the keeper can save
-('50) again the Egyptian
keeper has to intervene as #20 Kampamba, a quite small player, pressures
-it seems the halftime
score has made Al Ahly a bit overconfident while Sundowns are now fighting
for their chance
-('54) Sundowns captain
Mudau with another chance for Sundowns who clearly have the momentum on
their side now
-because of the away
goal rule a 2:2 draw would see the South Africans winning the trophy. But
yet they are two goals shy
-('56) Al Ahly keeper Hadary
claims an injury and gives his team a welcomed but short break
-Al Ahly look overcareful
and with a less good organised pressing in midfield, compared to first
half. Sundowns attack much earlier and the Egyptians have clear problems
in their build-up with this.
-('63) Sundowns with a similar
situation to the 2nd Al Ahly goal, but here the ball only hits the goalpost
- tough luck
-('65) Hadary stops the
broken through Sundowns in the last moment
-('72) Al Ahly have managed
to keep the match away from the goal for some minutes
-('73) #30 breaks through
oon the left hand side, makes a low pass in fromt of the goal but Mudau,
challenged, cannot get a clear shot off and the ball in a strange curve
misses close, wide left
-Al Ahly attacking attempts,
if there are any, fade without effect. The Egyptians do not seem interested
anymore in putting pressure on the visitors
-Sundowns attempts look
too hectic to profit from the Egyptian anxiety. A balls is fired from long
ranges ending up somewhere in the stadium
-('82) Sundowns combinate
through the Al Ahly defence once, but the close range shot by #30 is saved
again by Hadary, who collides with the attacker in his second attempt and
takes another injury time out
-('86) Two Sundowns players
get into each others way as they are heading for a cross
-('87) Hadary saves a bounccing
shot from outside the penalty area
-('87) the insuing corner
sees a #30 header clashing against the cross bar, deflected by a defender,
positioned a meter before the goalline
-(90) Beebo receives
the ball in midfield and goes off like a rocket, running away from the
defenders. He beats the keeper by a perfect touch with the outside of his
foot. A premium goal - 3:0
-Sepp Blatter and CAF president
Hayatou are among the visitors as a firework is started after the final
whistle
final score 3:0, Al Ahly
have won the 2001 Champions League
Al Ahly have had the necessary
luck in the course of the two matches but have looked the better team as
well. They had an outstanding match winner in Khaled Beebo (some write
Bebo or Bibo as well).
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