Friday Oct 27
Al Ahly (Egypt) - Hearts Of Oak (Ghana)
1:1
Before:
Hearts with a huge chance
of winning the group: Al Ahly needs to win to keep the race open. Al Ahly
the first time with new German coach Dörner on the bench.
1st half:
- As expected Al Ahly starts
pressing and attacking while Hearts act a little timid
- ('5) A fast break brings
the first good opportunity for Al Ahly but a defender can rescue right
in time
- ('6) Al Ahly: a cross
finds the defence unorganized but the unmarked striker cannot hit the ball
properly and it goes wide
- ('9) Hearts warm up and
pay a first real visit to the Egyptian half
- Al Ahly try their wing
play especially along the left hand side, but now good defending by Hearts.
- But the build up attempts
by Hearts too often do not even reach midfield line
- Hearts have grown stronger
now in direct duels but not in passing game - but the Egyptian passing
game is not running as smoothly as often seen
- ('21) Al Ahly break through
on the right wing - a backwards side pass against the run of the defenders
and an unmarked striker with a must score opportunity from about 12 meters,
but targeting directly on the keeper
- Al Ahly defenders have
complete control at this point
- ('27) Al Ahly with a seemingly
harmless shot from 22 meters. The ball takes a bounce on the ground but
is perfectly controlled by the keeper (Adjei?) anyway
- ('33) yet a very fair
game, a yellow card now for a Hearts player who came a little late with
his tackle
- although Hearts defending
is good, good occasions for Al Ahly occur from time to time because most
of the match is played in the Hearts half. It seems doubtful Hearts will
be able to defend that scoreline for the entire match.
- ('41) almost a miracle:
a corner for Hearts!
- ('43) a second corner
for Hearts
- ('injury time) Hearts
keeper saves a diagonal shot after a fast Al Ahly attack
halftime 0:0
Hearts play out of a massive
defence and it seems they are going for a scoreless draw. Al Ahly looks
a bit helpless, they do not play quick enough most of the times. But that
is easyily said. But Al Ahly does have a few chances: The build up by Hearts
is quite bad and Hearts lose the balls very quickly. In these moments Al
Ahly can make some quick moves into the then exposed spaces and has work
out a few rare goal scenes.
2nd half:
- ('47) Al Ahly with a good
opportunity, a low shot wide
- ('50) error in the Egyptian
defence and Ismael Addo with a dangerous close range shot, but the angle
had been too difficult
- ('51) Al Ahly answer right
away with a half chance
- ('53) nice through ball
on Alaa Ibrahim ? but his shot goes up high across the bar
- ('54) brilliant save by
the keeper against a Al Ahly (Ali Maher?) header from close range - he
deflects it around the goal post
- ('57) a counter attack
by Hearts, first good looking then squandered
- ('58) now a fast break
by Al Ahly but the eventual shot goes far wide
- ('60) Al Ahly: it seems
to be #6 who shoots from 25 meters, alittle deflected by the keeper the
ball crushes against the cross bar and goes out for a corner
- ('63) An Al Ahly counter,
with the keeper already beaten a Hearts defender throws himself into the
shot and rescues, Al Ahly regret and lose concentration while Hearts counter
right away:
- ('64) A mismatch: 2
Hearts players against one defender and they play out the situation - it
could be Emmanuel Kuffour who scores - 0:1
- now Al Ahly needs two
goals
- some Ahly players look
resigned, some others try to revive the attacks
- ('69) A fine attack by
Al Ahly but in the end defence has the upper hand
- ('70) Alaa Ibrahim who
seems to be made responsible by the fans for not converting his chances,
is replaced
- Al Ahly keep attacking,
Hearts keep defending, now it looks much like first half
- suddenly a a dangerous
looking counter attack by Hearts, but offside
- ('80) Hearts are ten minutes
away from the final
- ('83) dangerous Al Ahly
free kick but wide
- ('84) Al Ahly: deflected
shot from 25 meters and spectacular save by the keeper
- ('84) the following
corner, defended, a shot from 20 meters, the ball gets stuck in the defence,
falls right for another Al Ahly player (#4?) who scoresd from about 8 meters
- 1:1
- ('88) wild attacking by
Al Ahly and desperate defending by Hearts
- ('90) Hearts attack themselves
which seems right - it keeps the ball away from own half for some time
- ('injury time) Al Ahly:
A free kick cross from the right hand side and a header, but clearly wide
- ('injury time) Hearts:
dangerous low shot from a rather difficult angle and the keeper concentrated
has control of the ball
final score: 1:1
Hearts Of Oak have qualified
for the final!
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