Abu Dhabi: Egypt’s top club Al Ahly put up a spirited performance to edge Italian giants AS Roma 4-3 win in a thrilling Champions Golden Cup international friendly in Al Ain on Friday. Both teams were locked 2-2 at the breather.
Substitute Mohammad Ahmad scored the matchwinner for Al Ahly late into injury time with the crowd erupting in celebration.
Earlier, John Antwi, Moamen Zakaria and Waleed Sulaiman had scored for Al Ahly.
For Roma, Edin Dzeko, Mohammad Salah and William Vainqueur scored a goal apiece.
The Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium that normally take on a purple hue when the home team Al Ain take the field, turned into a sea of Red. The Egyptian expat population had turned up in full strength to support their No 1 club with Al Ahly boasting a history of over 100 years. The noise was deafening. The Egyptian media also was in full force and most of the journalists too had donned Al Ahly colours.
A few kilometres away, at Al Ain’s Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Jazira and recently crowned Gulf League Champions Al Ahli were involved in a crucial President’s Cup semi-final match but the crowd turnout there was sparse in comparison.
Another reason for the large fan turnout had to do with the signing of Egyptian star Mohamad Salah by Roma. Salah has been one of Roma’s best performers since joining last summer as the club has been battling for a UEFA Champions League spot next season. With that signing, Roma are among the most popular European clubs in Egypt. They now have more Egyptian Facebook followers than any other European club in the world.
Loudest cheer
Salah got the loudest cheer as he stepped on to the field and the Egyptian national anthem sung in chorus would have given goosebumps to many.
With Roma coach Luciano Spalletti announcing that the friendly was an opportunity for him to scout for new players, Al Ahly players had that extra motivation to give their best against the star-studded side comprising the old warhorse Francesco Totti, Edin Dzeko and Kevin Strootman.
It was the third meeting between the two clubs. In 2002 the two teams met for the first time, with Al Ahly winning 2-1 in Cairo. Six years later they met again in Cairo, and the Giallorossi defeated Al Ahly 3-0.
It took just 13 minutes for John Antwi to provide the Red brigade with the breakthrough seizing on a defensive blunder and it triggered wild celebration in the stands.
That was before Totti made his mark. His pinpoint long ball found the former Man City forward Edin Dzeko, who showed fine ball control before blasting home with an on-the-turn left-footer to get the equaliser in the 19th minute.
Then Salah sunk many an Egyptian heart with a brilliant strike from way outside the box on a back pass from Dzeko in the 40th minute. However, Al Ahly roared back with Moamen Zakriya scoring on a counter attack.
Then 10 minutes into the second half Waleed Sulaiman put Al Ahly back in the lead after stealing the ball from a defender.
Al Ahly didn’t take the foot off the pedal even after that goal but William scored in the 90th minute to again restore parity for Roma. However, just when it looked that the match would end in a draw, Ahmad emerged as the star for Al Ahly with a mesmerising run to make it 4-3.
