Egyptian giants Al Ahly are to play Esperance of Tunisia in the 2018 CAF Champions League final despite a 2-1 semi-final second leg loss Tuesday at Entente Setif of Algeria.
It was the first Ahly loss in eight Champions League matches since French coach Patrice Carteron replaced Hossam el Badry, who quit after a group defeat to KCCA in Uganda.
The eight-time record champions Al Ahly squeezed through to the final having won the first leg 2-0, finishing 3-2 win on aggregate.
Esperance earned a 4-2 victory over Primeiro Agosto of Angola in a dramatic second leg. The Tunisian side qualified 4-3 on aggregate having lost the first leg 1-0 in Luanda.
When the two sides met in the group stages, the first leg in Tunis ended in a goalless draw while Al Ahly won the second leg 1-0 in Cairo.
Al Ahly will be seeking to seal a ninth continental crown while Esperance will aim for their third.
The fixture is a repeat of the 2012 CAF Champions League final, which Al Ahly won. The first leg will be played on November 2nd or 3rd in Tunis, with the second leg taking place a week later, on 9th or 10th in Cairo.
At stake will be a $2.5 million (2.2 million euros) first prize and a place in the FIFA Club World Cup to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates during December.
Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca are the defending champions having won Al Ahly 2–1 on aggregate last year.
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