2017 CAF Champions League Final


The 2017 CAF Champions League Final was the final of the 2017 CAF Champions League, the 53rd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football, and the 21st edition under the current CAF Champions League title.
The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Al-Ahly of Egypt and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco. The first leg was hosted by Al-Ahly at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on 28 October 2017, while the second leg was hosted by Wydad Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on 4 November 2017. The winner earned the right to represent the CAF at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage, as well as play in the 2018 CAF Super Cup against the winner of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.
After the first leg ended in a 1–1 draw, Wydad Casablanca defeated Al-Ahly 1–0 in the second leg to win 2–1 on aggregate, and were crowned African champions for the second time.

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
Al-AhlyUNAF 10
Wydad CasablancaUNAF 2

Al-Ahly is the most successful club with 8 titles reaching a total of eleven finals, winning eight and losing two.
Wydad Casablanca had reached the final of the African Cup of Champions Clubs twice, winning one in 1992 and losing another in 2011. They were the first Moroccan side to reach the final of Africa's premier club championship since 2011 and also the only Moroccan side to reach this round since 2002 after Raja Casablanca.

Venues

Borg El Arab Stadium

The Borg Elarab stadium is a stadium commissioned in 2006 in the Mediterranean Sea resort of Borg elarab; 25 km west of Alexandria, Egypt. It is the largest stadium in Egypt and the second largest in Africa 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 Elarab 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.

Stade Mohammed V

The Stade Mohammed V is part of a big athletic complex situated in the heart of the city of Casablanca, Morocco, in the western part of Casablanca district. It was inaugurated March 6, 1955, and currently has a capacity of 67,000.
The stadium's record attendance of 100,000 was set in 1997, in a football match between Raja Casablanca and their rivals Wydad.
Often hosting the games of the Morocco national football team, the Mohammed V Stadium is equally known as the home of Wydad Casablanca and Raja Casablanca. It is named after King Mohammed V of Morocco.

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first.

Format

The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the order of legs decided by an additional draw held after the group stage draw, which was held on 26 April 2017. 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

missed the first leg after picking up a red card in the second leg of their semi-final against USM Alger.
Zakaria scored for Al-Ahly in the third minute after he received a pass outside the penalty area before quickly unleashing a shot with his left foot into the back of the net. Wydad Casablanca then replied with a goal of their own when Ounajem broke through on the right flank and delivered a ball for Bencharki to head in the equaliser.

Second leg

Both sides were without some key players through injury for the decisive match. Mohamed Ounajem strained his thigh during the first leg and Ali Maâloul was also out with groin injuries.
In the second leg, El Karti scored for Wydad Casablanca the winning goal with a header in the 69th minute from a precise cross delivered by Bencharki.