Who will play Mamelodi Sundowns? Al Ahly vs Esperance Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips

CAF Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg, March 21, 2026

African football produces few fixtures capable of matching the weight, history and raw intensity of Al Ahly versus Esperance Sportive de Tunis. Mamelodi Sundowns will be following this game keenly since they will play the aggregate winner – if they complete the job against Stade Malien.

Saturday brings the second leg of their CAF Champions League 2025/26 quarter-final to Cairo International Stadium, with the 12-time African champions needing to overturn a one-goal deficit against the Tunisian giants who drew first blood in Rades six days ago.

The stakes go well beyond a place in the semi-finals. This rivalry has been the defining contest in African club football for more than a decade, and the winner here faces the survivor of Mamelodi Sundowns versus Stade Malien in the last four.

For Al Ahly, the road to a 13th continental title runs through a team that handed them a crushing 3-0 reverse in the 2018 final, and one now riding a wave of momentum under a new coach who secured a crucial first-leg win in his first real examination.

There will be no home crowd to lift the Red Devils, a punishment imposed by CAF for crowd incidents during the group stage. Whatever happens at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday evening, it will unfold in near silence.

Match Preview

Context is everything heading into this second leg, and there is no shortage of it on either side.

Al Ahly topped Group B of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League with 10 points from six matches, going unbeaten through the group phase with two wins and four draws. That record was solid, if not spectacular, and it has given way to a slightly concerning run of form in the lead-up to the knockout rounds.

Mahmoud Trezeguet was forced off before half time with a hamstring injury during the group stage clash with JS Kabylie, while Ahmed Mostafa Zizo had suffered a similar injury in the Egyptian Premier League around the same period.

Both players appeared to be fit for the first leg in Tunisia, with Trezeguet starting and Zizo used from the bench, but their physical condition adds a note of caution to Thorup’s planning.

Domestically, Al Ahly suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tala’ea El Gaish in the Egyptian Premier League on March 9, a result that underlined an inconsistency in form that has frustrated supporters and raised questions about the direction of the team under Danish coach Jess Thorup.

The closed-doors ruling adds another dimension to the challenge.

CAF’s Disciplinary Committee decided that Al Ahly would play two matches behind closed doors, with one suspended, following organizational and security problems during their group stage finale against El Jaish El Malaki at Cairo International Stadium.

The ruling means the second leg against Esperance will proceed without the famous Cairo crowd, removing what Thorup himself had described as a decisive advantage before the quarter-final draw.

When the quarter-final draw was made, Thorup said he was “happy” to start away and finish at home, adding that “the second leg will be on our field, in our stadium, in front of our fans.” That scenario no longer applies.

Al Ahly have protested the ruling to CAF, arguing their legal right to appeal was not being properly respected ahead of such a critical fixture, but the match is proceeding behind closed doors regardless.

Esperance arrive in Cairo having executed a disciplined and tactically intelligent first leg.

The Tunisian club appointed French coach Patrice Beaumelle shortly before the quarter-finals, replacing Maher Kanzari following a run of disappointing results including a group stage defeat to Stade Malien.

Beaumelle wasted no time making an impression. His side’s 4-2-3-1 setup in Rades was structured, resolute and dangerous on the counter, and the penalty scored by defender Mohamed Amine Tougai in the 73rd minute gave Esperance a lead they deserved on the balance of play.

The goal was Esperance’s first against Al Ahly since 2018, when the club won 3-0 to overturn a 1-3 first leg deficit and become African club champions.

The Tunisian side finished second in Group D with nine points, behind Stade Malien but above the chasing pack, and their domestic form in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 has been strong enough to keep them near the top of the standings.

The aim for Esperance in Cairo is clear: defend the one-goal advantage, absorb whatever Al Ahly can throw at them in an empty stadium, and look for a second goal on the break that would effectively end the tie.

Head-to-Head

Few rivalries in African football carry as much history as this one.

Across 24 meetings in the CAF Champions League, Al Ahly has recorded 11 victories compared to four wins for Esperance, with nine matches ending in draws. The two teams have met in no fewer than 11 different editions of the competition since their first encounter in 1990, including memorable battles in 2001, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2021 and the 2024 final.

Al Ahly went into the first leg unbeaten in the last six head-to-head games, winning five of them, while six of the last seven meetings had seen one side fail to score.

The most recent meeting before this quarter-final was the 2023/24 CAF Champions League final.

Al Ahly claimed a 1-0 second-leg victory at Cairo International Stadium to win 1-0 on aggregate, with an early own goal from Roger Aholou proving decisive in a tense contest where Esperance almost levelled late on.

The 2018 final remains the cautionary tale for Al Ahly fans. That year, Esperance overturned a 3-1 first leg deficit in dramatic fashion, winning 3-0 at home to claim the title on away goals.

History, then, offers both clubs something to cling to. Al Ahly’s overall dominance in recent years is real, but Esperance have shown twice in this calendar decade that they are capable of beating the Red Devils when the pressure is highest.

The reverse fixture earlier in this quarter-final ended 1-0 to Esperance, courtesy of Tougai’s penalty, making Saturday’s second leg at Cairo a must-win for the home side.

Team News

Al Ahly

Thorup has a broadly available squad ahead of the second leg, with no new injury concerns reported following the first leg in Rades.

Mostafa Shobeir is expected to continue in goal after a strong performance in Tunisia, where he made several important saves to limit the damage against a well-organised Esperance attack.

The back four from the first leg featured Mohamed Hany at right back, Yasser Ibrahim and Youssef Belammari in central defence, and Hady Reyad at left back.

Hany was the player involved in the penalty incident that cost Al Ahly the first leg, and whether Thorup makes a change at right back remains one of the interesting selection questions ahead of Saturday.

In midfield, Emam Ashour and Aliou Dieng provide the base, with Zizo and Mahmoud Trezeguet as the attacking midfielders driving the team forward.

Trezeguet had returned from a muscle injury in February, making 22 appearances across all competitions and scoring 12 goals before the quarter-final. His form makes him one of the most important players on the pitch on Saturday.

Achraf Bencharki is expected to start on the right flank, having threatened repeatedly in the first leg with his direct running and powerful shooting.

Mohamed Sherif leads the attack, though Marwan Attia and Hussein El Shahat offer options from the bench if Thorup wants to change the dynamic.

The suspension of Emam Ashour, who was sidelined for disciplinary reasons earlier in the season, appears to have been resolved with the midfielder featuring in recent fixtures.

No confirmed fresh injuries have been reported, though the congested schedule of the Egyptian Premier League and continental commitments means fatigue is a factor to monitor.

Al Ahly predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Shobeir; Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Belammari, Reyad; Dieng, Ashour; Bencharki, Trezeguet, Zizo; Sherif

Esperance

Beaumelle named an organised and well-structured side in Rades, and there is little reason to expect major changes for the second leg.

Goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said was one of the best performers in the first leg, making two crucial saves from Bencharki and Emam Ashour in quick succession before the penalty gave his side the lead.

The back four of Ibrahima Keita at right back, Hamza Jelassi and Mohamed Tougai in the centre, and Amine Ben Hamida at left back provided a resilient defensive platform throughout the 90 minutes in Rades.

Tougai, the penalty scorer, carries a yellow card into Saturday’s game, which is worth monitoring given how physically demanding the contest in Rades became in the closing stages.

Houssem Tka and Onuche Ogbelu operate as the midfield double pivot, providing defensive cover and ball recovery to shield the back four.

Ben Haj Ali is the advanced midfielder linking midfield to attack, with Brazilian winger Yan Sasse and teenage Burkinabe Jack Diarra providing width on either side of the front three.

Striker Florian Danho led the line in the first leg and was Esperance’s most persistent threat. The French-Ivorian forward has pace, flair and physical presence at 188cm, and his ability to hold the ball up and create space behind him was a constant problem for Al Ahly’s central defenders in Rades.

Esperance have a rich attacking bench too, with former Tunisia international Youssef Msakni and Kouceila Boualia capable of coming on to change the game in the second half.

Esperance predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Ben Said; Keita, Jelassi, Tougai, Ben Hamida; Tka, Ogbelu; Sasse, Ben Haj Ali, Diarra; Danho

Player Records to Watch

Mahmoud Trezeguet has scored 12 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions this season. A goal in Cairo on Saturday would be his most significant of the campaign.

Mohamed Amine Tougai has scored the last goal in this tie. If he picks up a booking on Saturday, it will be his second in the quarter-final, which could rule him out of a potential semi-final.

Florian Danho has three CAF Champions League goals this season and is Esperance’s most direct attacking threat. Keeping him quiet is among Thorup’s most pressing tactical concerns.

Trezeguet’s explosive directness and clinical finishing make him Al Ahly’s most dangerous player when the tie is on the line. Danho’s pace, physicality and three CAF Champions League goals this season make him the constant threat Esperance will look to exploit on the break in Cairo.

The Managers

Jess Thorup (Al Ahly)

The 55-year-old Dane was appointed at Al Ahly ahead of the 2025/26 season, becoming the latest European coach to take on one of African football’s most demanding jobs.

Thorup’s coaching approach is characterised by a proactive pressing style and quick transitions into attack, a departure from the more conservative tendencies of some predecessors at the Cairo club.

He has worked with some of the biggest clubs in Denmark, including FC Copenhagen and Midtjylland, and has shown adaptability in how he sets up his teams depending on available personnel.

The pressure on Thorup is considerable. Domestic league form has been inconsistent, and there is a sense of dissatisfaction among supporters regarding his tenure, with rumours of a potential sacking circulating in Egyptian media even before the first leg in Rades.

The second leg against Esperance is, in many ways, a pivotal moment in determining whether Thorup survives the summer at the club.

Patrice Beaumelle (Esperance)

The 47-year-old Frenchman was handed one of the most challenging managerial assignments in African football when Esperance appointed him just weeks before the quarter-finals.

Beaumelle replaced Maher Kanzari and brings considerable continental experience, having worked alongside Herve Renard when Zambia won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and when Ivory Coast lifted the title in 2015. He later took charge of the Ivorian national team and, at club level, guided Mouloudia Club d’Alger to the Algerian league title in 2023/24.

His first major assignment with Esperance delivered a 1-0 first-leg win over the most decorated club in African football, a result that has given immediate credibility to his appointment.

Beaumelle is known for disciplined, pragmatic football with a strong emphasis on defensive structure and possession control, exactly the kind of approach that served Esperance well in Rades.

How he sets up for the away second leg, and whether he asks his side to sit deep or press for the insurance goal, will be one of the key tactical narratives of the evening.

Tactical Preview

Al Ahly will set up in their familiar 4-2-3-1, looking to press high and use the wide areas to generate crosses and cutbacks into the penalty area where Mohamed Sherif can profit.

The first leg demonstrated that Esperance used a well-structured 4-2-3-1 of their own, with the midfield double pivot of Tka and Ogbelu providing a deep-lying shield that consistently intercepted Al Ahly’s attempts to play through the middle.

Al Ahly’s most dangerous route in Rades was through the wide areas, with Bencharki and Trezeguet repeatedly threatening from the flanks, and the same approach is likely in Cairo.

The absence of a crowd removes one of Al Ahly’s most significant psychological weapons. In previous second legs at Cairo International Stadium, the noise generated by tens of thousands of red-clad supporters has visibly affected opposing teams.

Beaumelle is likely to set up Esperance to absorb pressure initially and look for the counter-attack, with Danho’s pace making him the most direct route to a goal that would kill the tie.

Al Ahly’s defensive vulnerability from set pieces is worth noting. The first-leg penalty came from Mohamed Hany handling inside the area, and Esperance’s physicality in aerial duels is a genuine threat from corners and free kicks in Cairo too.

The key question for Thorup is whether to go direct and get the ball forward early, utilising Sherif’s hold-up play, or to try to build patiently through midfield. The first option offers more immediate pressure; the second carries the risk of losing possession in dangerous areas to Esperance’s aggressive press.

Esperance’s weakness in the first leg was the quality of their chance creation when they were in possession. They defended well but were perhaps fortunate that Al Ahly’s quality in front of goal did not find a way past Ben Said more than once. In Cairo, without the crowd and with the imperative to attack, Thorup’s side should generate more, not fewer, opportunities.

Betting Tips and Predictions

Final Score Prediction

Why we are going with this score:

• Al Ahly have scored in their last seven home CAF Champions League matches and are unbeaten in second legs in Cairo in the competition
• The empty stadium removes crowd intimidation for Esperance but also removes Al Ahly’s greatest atmospheric weapon, making the match more neutral than a typical second leg in Cairo would be
• Esperance showed in the first leg that they carry a genuine threat on the counter, and Danho’s pace makes a goal for the Tunisian side a real possibility
• Six of the last seven meetings between these two clubs have seen one side fail to score, suggesting goals are precious in this fixture, which makes a tight score likely
• Al Ahly’s historical record in CAF Champions League knockouts at Cairo International Stadium gives them the platform to win the game, but Esperance’s defensive discipline means it will not be straightforward
• A 2-1 second-leg win for Al Ahly levels the aggregate at 2-2, which will work to Esperance’s advantage

This is a fixture that rarely resolves cleanly, and Saturday looks like another installment in that tradition.

Al Ahly need to win, have the quality to do so, and will pour bodies forward from the first minute. Esperance have the resilience and the individual quality to score on the break. The most likely outcome is an Al Ahly win on the night that is not enough to settle the tie outright, with the aggregate level heading into extra time. What happens after 90 minutes in an empty Cairo International Stadium could be the defining moment of both clubs’ continental seasons.