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Al Ahly face Wydad Casablanca CAF Champions League final today- Preview
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Al Ahly SC (Egypt) and Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) will lock horns today, May 30 2022 in the 2021/2022 season finale of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League at 19:00 GMT
The Egyptian giants who reached this stage after beating ES Setif in the semifinals are looking to win a record-extending 11th CAFCL title and become the first team to win the African crown for a third successive season.
“If we can make history, it will be a great thing for this club and the players,” said coach Pitso Mosimane. “But we know we are coming up against a very strong opponent and we will have to prepare well.”
Wydad’s path to the final has seen them overcome Hearts of Oak (preliminary round), top their group ahead of Zamalek, Sagrada Esperanca and Petro de Luanda, before narrowly ousting CR Belouizdad 1-0 in the quarterfinals, and then claim a 4-2 triumph over Petro in the semifinals.
The Moroccan club is a two-time CAFCL winner and has been one of the most consistent teams in this top-tier continental competition, reaching the semifinals or better in five of the last six seasons.
Wydad coach Walid Regraui says he is not worried by the controversy of CAF selecting their home ground as the venue for a one-off final: “We are ready to play anywhere. CAF decided to play the final in Morocco and we should respect their decision. It is not important for us where the final will take place. We are ready to play in Dakar, in Istanbul or in any other place. We earned four away wins in this edition and we are ready to grab a fifth.”
- Key players
Percy Tau – The South African forward had a hand in all six of Ahly’s goals in the semifinal against ES Setif and will be looking to wreak havoc amongst Wydad’s defence. If Tau can hit his straps, the Red Devils will be favourites for a third successive African crown.
Aymane Hassouni – The 27-year-old midfielder is the brains behind Wydad’s play, orchestrating their passing moves and providing the creative spark when something a little unorthodox is required to break down a defence.
- Head-to-head stats
In head-to-head stats, Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca have met in 10 matches dating back as far as 2016. The Red Devils have claimed four wins compared to two for the Red Castle, while four games have been drawn.
The teams last met in the semifinals of the 2019-20 CAFCL, with Ahly claiming a 5-1 aggregate victory. However, their previous meeting in a final of the continental competition was won 2-1 on aggregate by Wydad.
Below are some facts about both teams:
● This will be the third CAF Champions League final between Moroccan and Egyptian sides, and a repeat of the 2017 showpiece, which saw Wydad Casablanca win (2-1) over two legs (also Zamalek v Raja Casablanca in 2002).
● 10-time CAF Champions League/Africa Cup of Champions Clubs; Al Ahly are looking to become the first side to win the competition in three consecutive seasons, after beating Zamalek (2-1) in 2019-20 and Kaiser Chiefs in 2020-21 (3-0).
● This will be Wydad Casablanca’s third CAF Champions League final in six seasons, after 2017 (winners) and 2018-19 (runners-up) and their fifth overall in the CAF Champions League/Africa Cup of Champions Clubs (W2 L2), the most by a Moroccan side in the competition.
● The final is the 11th meeting between Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca in the CAF Champions League, with the Egyptian side edging the head-to-head battle so far, winning four to Wydad’s two victories (D4).
● Al Ahly have won their last two CAF Champions League matches against Wydad Casablanca – both legs of their semi-final meeting in 2019-20 (2-0 and 3-1) and are looking to win three in a row against the Moroccan side for the first time in the competition.
● Defending champions Al Ahly started slowly in the CAF Champions League this season, failing to score in three of their first four games (W1 D1 L2), while they’ve scored in each of their last six, averaging 2.2 goals per game (13 in total – W4 D2).
● 44% of the headed goals (7/16) scored in the CAF Champions League in 2021-22 have come from these two sides, with Wydad Casablanca netting the most (4), ahead of Al Ahly’s three.
● Al Ahly have had at least 25 more high turnovers (94 – the number of sequences that start in open play and begin 40m or less from the opponent’s goal) than any other side in the CAF Champions League this season, with 20 ending in shots and three ending in goals – both competition highs in 2021-22.
● Wydad Casablanca are the top-scoring team in the CAF Champions League this season with 20 goals, while they’ve had nine different players score at least once (excluding own goals), no side have had more different goal-scorers in the competition this season (level with Mamelodi Sundowns).
● Wydad Casablanca have scored their 20 goals from an expected goals tally of just 11.3 – the biggest xG differential in the CAF Champions League this season (8.7), while they also have the best shot conversion rate – 18.7% (20/107).
● Wydad Casablanca have scored 50% of their goals (10/20) via set-pieces in the CAF Champions League in 2021-22 (four corners, three free-kicks, one direct free-kick and two penalties) – since 2016 (when this data is available) only ES Tunis in 2018-19 (11) have scored more in a single season in the competition.
● Al Ahly’s Percy Tau has been directly involved in eight goals (three goals, five assists), more than any other player in the CAF Champions League this season, while the last player with more in a single campaign was Trésor Mputu in 2018-19 (9 – four goals, five assists for TP Mazembe). – www.primenewsghana.com/
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
