On this day, October 4, 2015, Al Ahly faced a tough night as they were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup at the semi-final stage, despite winning the second leg against South Africa's Orlando Pirates 4-3 at the Suez Stadium.
The previous season's champions had lost the first leg in South Africa 1-0, meaning they needed to win by at least two goals to qualify for the final.
Efforts from Ivona Give Al Ahly Hope Against Orlando
Al Ahly entered the match determined to make up for their first-leg loss, finishing the first half ahead thanks to a goal from Gabonese striker Malick Ivona in the 43rd minute.
At the start of the second half, Ivona struck again in the 53rd minute, putting Al Ahly in a strong position as they needed to maintain their lead to edge closer to the final.
However, the course of the match changed unexpectedly within a few minutes.
Orlando Turns the Tables on Al Ahly
Orlando Pirates managed to come back into the game, scoring three consecutive goals through Erasmus, Jabuza, and Maklaba in the 57th, 75th, and 85th minutes.
With these goals, Al Ahly's task became extremely difficult, as they needed to find a way back to secure qualification.
In stoppage time, Amr Gamal scored Al Ahly's third goal in the second minute, reigniting hope for the team in the dying moments.
But Orlando had other plans, adding a fourth goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time, ending the match with a 4-3 victory for Al Ahly, which was not enough to qualify after losing the first leg by a single goal.
Al Ahly's Lineup for the Match
Al Ahly started the match with Sherif Ikrami in goal, supported by Bassem Ali, Saad Samir, Mohamed Nagy, and Sabry Rahil in defense.
In midfield, they featured Abdullah El-Said, Ahmed Fathi, Hossam Ashour, and Moamen Zakaria, while the attack was led by John Antwi and Malick Ivona.
The match saw Amr Gamal replace Bassem Ali, Ramadan Sobhi come on for Moamen Zakaria, and Emad Meteb take the place of John Antwi.
A Match Full of Twists
The match was officiated by Algerian referee Mehdi Abid Charef, and it was one of the most thrilling encounters in Al Ahly's history in the Confederation Cup.
Despite scoring four goals during the match, Al Ahly could not overcome their first-leg defeat, exiting the tournament at the semi-final stage.
Al Ahly entered the competition as the defending champions, having won the Confederation Cup in the previous edition, only to see their journey end against Orlando Pirates in a match that remained exciting until the final seconds.
End of the Title Holder's Journey
Al Ahly's exit from the tournament was a significant blow to the team's ambitions of retaining their continental title, especially as the second leg featured seven goals and multiple lead changes.
Thus, Al Ahly's journey in the CAF Confederation Cup ended on October 4, 2015, on a night that began in the best possible way with Ivona's brace, but concluded with Orlando Pirates advancing to the final after triumphing on aggregate.
Al Ahly Returns to the Confederation Cup for the First Time in 23 Years
For the first time in 23 years, African football history witnessed an unprecedented event as Al Ahly exited the CAF Champions League, moving on to compete in this season's CAF Confederation Cup, ending a long era of dominance in the continent's most prestigious tournament.
Al Ahly will face Ugandan club Kitarra on the evening of October 17 at the Hoima Stadium in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup.
The return leg between Al Ahly and Kitarra will take place on the evening of October 25 at Cairo Stadium, with the aggregate winner advancing to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
