African Champions League semi-finals both end goalless
JOHANNESBURG, April 19 (Reuters) - Both African Champions League semi-final first-leg ties on Saturday ended goalless, giving Egyptian clubs Al Ahly and Pyramids an advantage for next weekend's return matches.
Holders Al Ahly, looking for a fifth title in six years, held Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria before Pyramids also ensured an away stalemate at Orlando Pirates in Soweto later on Saturday.
The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Al Ahly, who have won a record 12 Champions League titles, twice had the ball in Sundowns' net but both efforts were ruled offside. They also saw their Slovenian striker Nejc Gradisar hit the crossbar with a first-half effort.
The hosts had the bulk of the possession but found no way to penetrate the tight Egyptian defence.
It was the same for the attacking Pirates at the Orlando Stadium where Pyramids also proved stoic in defence.
Pyramids also managed to twice breach Pirates' defences but VAR ruled offside the first effort and disallowed the second for a handball.
The return legs will be played in the Egyptian capital on Friday when Al Ahly host Sundowns at the Cairo International Stadium followed by Pyramids against Pirates at the city's smaller Air Defence Stadium.
The aggregate winners advance to the two-legged final in late May and early June.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
28 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Tottenham ready to hijack Man Utd's £60m Bryan Mbeumo transfer as Brentford identify Thomas Frank replacement
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TOTTENHAM want Bryan Mbeumo to join with Thomas Frank — in a £70million double raid on Brentford. Spurs have made Bees boss Frank their first choice to replace axed Ange Postecoglou and want to tie up a swoop quickly. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Spurs are trying to hijack Man Utd's move for Bryan Mbeumo Credit: Getty 3 Mbeumo could join manager and Spurs target Thomas Frank Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 Ruben Amorim has already lost out to Spurs after a 1-0 defeat in the Europa League final Credit: Shutterstock Editorial And the Europa League winners are trying to hijack Manchester United's move for attacker Mbeumo — with hopes that landing Frank could help sway a deal. Frank, 51, is open to the move across London and a £10m compensation package to land the Dane and his staff will not be a problem. Spurs technical director Johan Lange, who worked with Frank at Danish club Lyngby, will play a key role in negotiations. Then Tottenham can join the Mbeumo chase seriously and hope that being able to offer Champions League action will give them another edge. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS LIONESS LOVE SPLIT England's Millie Bright leaves fiancé & falls for married gym trainer United are edging towards a £60m deal and Spurs have cash to match that. It would be a huge test of Tottenham's spending power as United prepare to offer huge wages on top of the fee for the Cameroon international, 25. Meanwhile, Brentford are already homing in on Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna to succeed Frank. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS But McKenna signed a massive new deal at Ipswich a year ago and his compensation clause is understood to be a similar figure to Frank's. Who could replace Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham manager? The lure of a second crack at the Premier League is bound to appeal to the Northern Irishman, who was relegated after leading Ipswich to Prem promotion for the first time in 22 years. Brentford have alternatives if McKenna is not committed.
Daily Record
29 minutes ago
- Daily Record
I've played with Zidane and Henry but facing Celtic in the Champions League was my most magical career memory
Former France and Lyon hero Gregory Coupet will never forget his visit to Glasgow's East End 22 years ago Lyon legend Gregory Coupet enjoyed a stellar career that saw him win seven Ligue 1 titles and represent his country at the European Championships in 2008. But the 52-year-old is in no doubt about the best experience he ever experienced on the pitch during his 28 years as a professional. The Frenchman was in his pomp when Lyon travelled to Celtic Park for a Champions League group stage clash in September 2003. The Ligue 1 powerhouses went into tie off the back of consecutive league titles but were blown away by the Hoops, with goals in either half from Liam Miller and Chris Sutton handing Martin O'Neill's side an impressive 2-0 win, despite Coupet saving a penalty from Alan Thompson. Coupet's team would get their own back on Celtic three months later, with midfield maestro Juninho netting a late penalty in a 3-2 victory to deny the visitors a place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. And while the former stopper - who won 32 caps for his country and also turned out for Saint Etienne, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain - played in many iconic stadiums around the continent during his illustrious career between the sticks, he says that 'magical' night at Parkhead trumps the lot. Coupet puts the atmosphere generated at Celtic Park ahead of the cauldron of noise that can be heard in Fenerbahce's Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. Speaking to L'Equipe, he said: "I put Celtic above all because there is a cathedral effect, magnificent chants, no animosity. It's magical." Coupet isn't the only former Ligue 1 star to have some warm words for the famous old ground. Ex Barcelona, Manchester United and PSG goal machine Zlatan Ibrahimovic described his experience of walking out in Glasgow's East End back in 2001 when he came off the bench for Ajax in a Champions League tie. Reflecting on his career, he said: "I have played in the biggest games of world football. "But I have never experienced an atmosphere like I did at Celtic Park." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
43 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Uncapped Scottish star 'emerges as shock transfer target for Juventus'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LAST year it was Lewis Ferguson who was being heavily linked with a move to Juventus. But the Serie A giants could end up signing another Scottish ace instead, who is also performing at a high level in Italy. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Josh Doig could make his Scotland debut on Monday Credit: Kenny Ramsay 2 He recently won the Italian Serie B with Sassuolo Credit: Getty Former Hibs defender Josh Doig has reportedly emerged as a shock transfer target for the Turin side as they look to add more quality and depth to the squad for next season. Doig, 23, has been playing in Italy since he left Hibs to become the latest Scot in the country back in the summer of 2023. Doig, who is still waiting on his first Scotland cap, spent 18 months with Hellas Verona initially before swapping clubs to Sassaulo in January last year after a move to Marseille collapsed. Sassuolo were relegated in the following summer but they will make their return to Serie A in the coming season after Doig and Co clinched the Serie B league title. The left-back made 23 appearances during the title-winning league campaign. But he may not be around to help them with their Serie A charge for a second time if a new report is to believed. According to SportMediaset (via Il Primato Nazionale), Doig is now on the radar of Juventus after catching their eyes with his recent displays for Sassuolo. The two-time Champions League winners secured a top four finish in Serie A last season after Igor Tudor replaced Thiago Motta as manager in March. The Croatian's future at the club is currently up in the air but it's looking increasingly likely that he will get the job on a permanent basis following the club's turnaround in the league. Doig would become just the second ever Scot to play for Juventus should he seal the dream move. Hibs star Josh Doig accepts DoubleTree by Hilton Scottish Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year trophy He would follow in the footsteps of former Rangers and Newcastle striker Willie Aitken, who spent two years with the Old Lady between 1928 and 1930. Doig has only ever featured twice on the European stage in his career - when he faced Santa Coloma and HNK Rijeka in Europa Conference League qualifiers for Hibs in 2021. But if he joins Juventus then he could make his first outing in the Champions League next season. Doig could also be in line to win his first senior cap for Scotland against Liechtenstein on Monday. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
