Ahly set new club record in trashing of Atlabara

Al Ahly player Salah Mohsen celebrates after he scored the third goal against Horoya AC during the 2018 CAF Champions league game between Al Ahly and Horoya AC at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt on 22 September 2018.

by Nick Said

Saturday Aug 24, 2019. 14:00

Egyptian giants Al Ahly set a new club record with their 9-0 victory over hapless South Sudan side Atlabara on Friday to secure a 13-0 aggregate success.

The victory is the club’s biggest ever in African football, eclipsing the 6-0 successes over AFC Leopards from Kenya in 1978 and Uganda’s SC Villa in 2004.

It will go some way to erasing the memories of the club’s biggest ever defeat, a 5-0 hammering at the hands of South African side Mamelodi Sundowns in April that threw the club into turmoil.

It was also achieved without a permanent coach in place after the Uruguayan Martin Lasarte was sacked last weekend. The team was led by former assistant coach Mohamed Youssef, who is in charge until a permanent replacement is found.

Hussein El Shahat grabbed a hat-trick in the victory, while there were also goals for Salah Mohsen (two), Hamdi Fathi (two), Ahmed Fathy and an own goal via Mustafa Selim.

Eight-time winners Ahly now advance to the first round proper where they will face either Equatorial Guinea side Cano Sport or Mekelle 70 Enderta from Ethiopia in the next round. The latter lead 2-1 from their home leg.

In other matches on Friday, Ugandan side Kampala City beat African Stars from Namibia 2-0 to advance 4-3 on aggregate, while Seychelles side Cote d’Or advanced on the away goals rule after their 1-1 draw with Fomboni from the Comoros left their tie level at 3-3.