In a dominant display, Percy Tau of South Africa propelled Al Ahly to a near-certain place in the CAF Champions League final with a 3-0 away victory against Tunisia’s Esperance on Friday.
Tau, who celebrated his 29th birthday the following day, netted in the eighth and 55th minutes of the first leg of the semi-final, which took place in an empty stadium on the outskirts of Tunis due to previous crowd trouble. Mahmoud Kahraba sealed the win for the 10-time African champions with a goal in the 75th minute.
The return match will be held in Cairo on May 19, and it seems highly likely that Ahly will advance to face either Wydad Casablanca of Morocco or Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in a two-leg title decider.
Playing on the right side of midfield, Tau has consistently impressed for Ahly, and his two goals in Tunisia bring his tally to four in this season’s Champions League campaign.
His first goal came from just inside the penalty area, as his shot deflected off goalkeeper Mohamed Debchi’s leg and found the back of the net. Tau then extended the lead with a fantastic individual effort, maneuvering past Mohamed Tougai and unleashing a shot into the corner of the goal.
The final goal was set up by Hussein el Shahat, who delivered a low cross to an unmarked Kahraba at the far post, allowing him to tap the ball in and increase his Champions League goal tally to five for the campaign.
Ahly’s victory continued their successful record at the national stadium in Tunisia, where they have won twice and drawn once in four previous Champions League semi-final visits.
Although Esperance posed a threat through Mohamed Ali Ben Hammouda, who narrowly missed the target with a deflected shot, they were unable to find the back of the net. By the end of the match, they were a demoralized side, realizing that their hopes of Champions League glory this season were fading away.