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Akram Tawfiq was named TotalEnergies Man of the Match as Al Ahly retained their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League crown by edging out Esperance of Tunisia 1-0 in Saturday’s final second leg in Cairo.
Tawfiq excelled in midfield as the Egyptian giants secured a 12th Champions League triumph courtesy of Roger Aholo’s early own goal at the Cairo International Stadium.
“My team played a great match and showed real determination to win the title,” Tawfiq said after being presented with his individual award.
“I dedicate this victory to the fans, the board and everyone at the club. It’s the culmination of a lot of effort and hard work.”
In a classy gesture, the Ahly players formed a guard of honour to applaud Esperance’s runners-up as they collected their medals following the match.
A solitary goal was enough for the Red Devils to lift the trophy for the second season running after last week’s first leg in Tunisia finished 0-0.
The decisive strike arrived inside four minutes when Aholo inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Ahly’s attack.
Victory in front of over 70,000 home supporters extended the Cairo club’s record as the most successful side in Champions League history.