The 2018 CAF Champions League final was the final of the 2018 CAF Champions League, the 54th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 22nd edition under the current CAF Champions League title.

The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Al Ahly from Egypt and Espérance de Tunis from Tunisia. The first leg was hosted by Al-Ahly on 2 November 2018, while the second leg was hosted by Espérance de Tunis at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Radès on 9 November 2018.

Espérance de Tunis won the final 4–3 on aggregate for their third CAF Champions League title. As winners, they earned the right to represent the CAF at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the second round, as well as play in the 2019 CAF Super Cup against the winner of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup.

Teams In the following table, finals until 1996 were in the African Cup of Champions Club era, since 1997 were in the CAF Champions League era.

TeamZonePrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners) Al AhlyUNAF (North Africa)11 (1982, 1983, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017) Espérance de TunisUNAF (North Africa)6 (1994, 1999, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012)

Background Al-Ahly are the most successful club in Egypt and Africa with eight titles, winning eight (1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013) and losing three (1983, 2007, 2017). Al-Ahly were playing their twelfth and second consecutive final.

Espérance de Tunis had reached the final six times before, more than any other Tunisian side, winning two (1994, 2011) and losing four (1999, 2000, 2010, 2012). Espérance de Tunis were playing their seventh final and the first since 2012.

The two sides had previously played 18 matches in African competitions. The first meetings between the two sides took place in the 1990 African Cup of Champions Clubs round of 16, where Espérance de Tunis beat Al-Ahly on penalties after the home and away matches ended 0–0. The most recent meetings between the clubs had taken place in the 2018 CAF Champions League group stage, where Al-Ahly's home match ended 0–0, and then Espérance de Tunis lost 0–1 at home to Al-Ahly on a Walid Azaro goal.

Venues

Borg El Arab Stadium

The Borg El Arab Stadium is a stadium commissioned in 2006 in the Mediterranean Sea resort of Borg El Arab; 25 km west of Alexandria, Egypt. It is the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest in Africa (after FNB Stadium in Johannesburg) with a capacity of 86,000 and is an all-seater. It is also the 27th largest stadium in the world, and the 9th largest association football stadium in the world. It is located on the Cairo-Alexandria desert highway 10 km from Borg El Arab Airport and 15 km from Alexandria's city centre. A running track runs around the pitch, and the ground has four large floodlights. Only one stand is covered by a roof.

The stadium is 145 feddans, is surrounded by a fence which is 3 km long, an internal road network its long is 6 km, a parking lot which could fit 5000 cars and 200 bus beside an airstrip, there are 136 electronic entrances. The main cabin is covered by an umbrella which covers 35% of the stadium total area, and it is considered the biggest umbrella in the Middle East. Its length is 200 m, its dimension is 60 m and its area is 12,000 m2, which is equal to 3 feddans.

The stadium is air-conditioned and that condition includes the clothes chambers, the salons and entrances, also the stadium includes 8 elevators for broadcasters, handicapped, services and important persons. There are 2 sub-stadiums for training and each ground can hold 2000 spectators, includes 2 locker rooms and a stadium for Athletics. The stadium also includes a hotel for 200 guests which is air-conditioned and has a swimming pool, gym and a department building which contains 80 people. The stadium includes a building which contains 300 presses. This building includes cabinets for broadcasters, entrances for emergency, ambulance cars, 39 and cafeterias, 337 bathrooms which classified to 33 bathrooms for women and 8 bathrooms for the handicapped.

Stade Olympique de Radès

The Stade Olympique de Radès is a multi-purpose stadium in Radès, Tunisia about 10 kilometers south-east of the city center of Tunis, in the center of the Olympic City. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has facilities for athletics. The stadium holds 60,000 and was built in 2001 for the 2001 Mediterranean Games and is considered to be one of the best stadiums in Africa. The stadium was built for the 2001 Mediterranean Games, the 60,000-seat covered area covers 13,000 m2 and consists of a central area, 3 adjoining grounds, 2 warm-up rooms, 2 paintings and an official stand of 7,000 seats. The press gallery is equipped with 300 desks.

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Al AhlyRound Espérance de TunisOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legQualifying roundsOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legByePreliminary round ASAC Concorde6–11–1 (A)5–0 (H) CF Mounana7–14–0 (H)3–1 (A)First round Gor Mahia1–00–0 (A)1–0 (H)OpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult Espérance de Tunis0–0 (H)Matchday 1 Al Ahly0–0 (A) KCCA0–2 (A)Matchday 2 Township Rollers4–1 (H) Township Rollers3–0 (H)Matchday 3 KCCA3–2 (H) Township Rollers1–0 (A)Matchday 4 KCCA1–0 (A) Espérance de Tunis1–0 (A)Matchday 5 Al Ahly0–1 (H) KCCA4–3 (H)Matchday 6 Township Rollers0–0 (A)Group A winnerFinal standingsGroup A runner-upOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg Horoya4–00–0 (A)4–0 (H)Quarter-finals Étoile du Sahel3–12–1 (H)1–0 (A) ES Sétif3–22–0 (H)1–2 (A)Semi-finals 1º de Agosto4–30–1 (A)4–2 (H)

Format The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the order of legs determined by the knockout stage draw, which was held on 3 September 2018, 20:00 EET (UTC+2), at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still tied, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.

Matches

First leg

GK 16 Mohamed El ShenawyRB 24 Ahmed Fathy CB 20 Saad Samir CB 3 Salif CoulibalyLB 12 Ayman AshrafRM 17 Ahmed Hamoudi CM 25 Hossam Ashour (c)CM 14 Amr El SoliaLM 5 Islam MoharebAM 11 Walid SolimanCF 9 Walid AzaroSubstitutes:GK 1 Sherif EkramyDF 6 Sabri RaheelDF 30 Mohamed Hany MF 2 Karim WalidMF 27 Mohamed Gaber FW 18 Marwan MohsenFW 29 Salah MohsenManager: Patrice Carteron GK 1 Moez Ben CherifiaRB 22 Sameh Derbali CB 5 Chamseddine Dhaouadi CB 12 Khalil Chemmam (c)LB 26 Houcine RabiiCM 15 Fousseny CoulibalyCM 30 Franck Kom CM 25 Ghailene ChaalaliRW 8 Anice BadriCF 29 Taha Yassine Khenissi LW 11 Youcef BelaïliSubstitutes:GK 19 Rami JridiDF 2 Ali MachaniDF 24 Iheb MbarkiDF 27 Mohamed Ali YacoubiMF 18 Saad BguirMF 28 Mohamed Amine MeskiniFW 9 Bilel Mejri Manager: Moïne Chaâbani

Assistant referees: Abdelhak Etchiali (Algeria) Jean Claude Birumushahu (Burundi) Fourth official: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon) Video assistant referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia) Assistant video assistant referees: El Hadji Samba (Senegal) Djibril Camara (Senegal)Match rules 90 minutes. Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.

Statistics

+First halfStatisticAl-AhlyEspérance de TunisGoals scored10Total shots46Shots on target22Passes168118Ball possession59%41%

+Second halfStatisticAl-AhlyEspérance de TunisGoals scored21Total shots55Shots on target21Passes80112Ball possession42%58%

+OverallStatisticAl-AhlyEspérance de TunisGoals scored31Total shots911Shots on target55Passes248230Ball possession52%48%

Second leg

GK 1 Moez Ben Cherifia RB 22 Sameh DerbaliCB 27 Mohamed Ali YacoubiCB 12 Khalil Chemmam (c)LB 20 Ayman Ben MohamedCM 15 Fousseny Coulibaly CM 25 Ghailene ChaalaliRW 8 Anice BadriAM 18 Saad Bguir LW 11 Youcef Belaïli CF 29 Taha Yassine Khenissi Substitutes:GK 19 Rami JridiDF 2 Ali MachaniDF 24 Iheb MbarkiDF 26 Houcine Rabii MF 28 Mohamed Amine Meskini FW 9 Bilel Mejri FW 14 Haythem JouiniManager: Moïne Chaâbani GK 16 Mohamed El ShenawyRB 30 Mohamed Hany CB 20 Saad SamirCB 3 Salif CoulibalyLB 12 Ayman AshrafCM 25 Hossam Ashour (c)CM 14 Amr El Solia RW 11 Walid Soliman AM 27 Mohamed Gaber LW 5 Islam MoharebCF 18 Marwan MohsenSubstitutes:GK 1 Sherif EkramyDF 6 Sabri RaheelMF 2 Karim Walid MF 10 Nasser MaherMF 17 Ahmed Hamoudi MF 22 Akram TawfikFW 29 Salah Mohsen Manager: Patrice Carteron

Assistant referees: Zakhele Thusi Siwela (South Africa) Waleed Ahmed Ali (Sudan) Fourth official: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon) Video assistant referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia) Assistant video assistant referees: El Hadji Samba (Senegal) Djibril Camara (Senegal)Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shoot-out if tied on aggregate and away goals. Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.

Statistics

+First halfStatisticEspérance de TunisAl-AhlyGoals scored10Total shots80Shots on target20Passes265110Ball possession70%30%

+Second halfStatisticEspérance de TunisAl-AhlyGoals scored20Total shots51Shots on target30Passes182175Ball possession50%50%

+OverallStatisticEspérance de TunisAl-AhlyGoals scored30Total shots131Shots on target50Passes447285Ball possession60%40%

See also 2018 CAF Confederation Cup Final 2019 CAF Super Cup

References

External links Total Champions League 2018, CAFonline.com