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Al Ahly beat rivals Zamalek to clinch CAF Champions League title

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Updated

VIDEO SHOWS: VARIOUS OF CROWDS WATCHING AHLY-ZAMALEK MATCH / CROWDS REACTING TO MATCH / STILLS OF MATCH IN PROGRESS / PLAYERS ARRIVING AT CAIRO STADIUM / CAIRO STADIUM / AL AHLY FAN SAYING AL AHLY DID NOT PLAY WELL AT FIRST BUT THEN SCORED IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES / AL AHLY FAN SAYING ZAMALEK TEAM PLAYED WELL / ZAMALEK CUB FAN CRYING / FANS CELEBRATING IN STREET / AL AHLY FANS CELEBRATING IN FRONT OF ZAMALEK CLUB ENTRANCE

SHOWS: CAIRO, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF CAIRO STADIUM

2. BUSES CARRYING PLAYERS ARRIVING AT STADIUM / SECURITY

GIZA, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

3. VARIOUS OF SOCCER FANS WATCHING MATCH / CHANTING 'WITH BLOOD, WITH SOUL, AFRICA WILL NOT LEAVE'

CAIRO, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. AL-AHLY FANS CELEBRATING WIN

GIZA, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

5. TOP SHOT SHOWING FANS MAKING FLARES

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AL AHLY FAN, OMAR, SAYING:

"Thank God. The match was absent from the stadium for such a long time. They kept doubting the players' skills, saying they can't, they won't. But it is the red shirt that was speaking today. There is no such thing as an individual player. Everyone plays together. There is no such thing as depending on individual play, we rely on team play, we rely on something called the Al Ahly club motto. The spirit and shirt of the Ahly club, that's what played tonight."

7. VARIOUS OF CELEBRATIONS

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AL AHLY FAN, MOHAMED RASHAD, SAYING:

"The Zamalek club played a good match, to be honest. We say hard luck, but they played a good game. They could have played better than Al Ahly, but thank God, luck made us win this one, making the crowds happy. Thank God."

9. CROWDS WATCHING MATCH

CAIRO, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

10. VARIOUS OF STILLS OF MATCH

GIZA, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AL AHLY FAN, ABDELRAHMAN NASR, SAYING:

"The match was good but Al Ahly was not pushing it in the first half. After the first 10 minutes, Al Ahly started spreading its control throughout the match. After we finished the first half, the second half was the same. But in the last 15 minutes, Al Ahly had gripped the match. The Zamalek team was trying of course, but Al Ahly wouldn't let them (win). Thank god for this win."

CAIRO, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. VARIOUS OF AL AHLY FANS CELEBRATING IN FRONT OF ZAMALEK CLUB ENTRANCE

13. MAN ON MOTORBIKE CARRYING AL AHLY BANNER / MOTORBIKES DRIVING BY / CARS AND BIKES HONKING HORNS

GIZA, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

14. JOURNALIST ASKING ZAMALEK FAN ABOUT MATCH / ZAMALEK FAN CRYING AND WALKING AWAY / PEOPLE HUGGING HIM

CAIRO, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

15. CARS AND MOTORBIKES HONKING IN STREET

16. VARIOUS OF STILLS OF AL AHLY PLAYERS HOLDING TROPHY (MUTE)

STORY: Soccer fans in Egypt took to the streets on Friday (November 27), many celebrating their club's win as Al Ahly's Mohamed Magdi scored a stunning goal four minutes from time, beating Cairo rivals Zamalek 2-1 to claim the 2019-20 CAF Champions League title.

The teams were locked at 1-1 at the Cairo International Stadium when midfielder Magdi collected a loose ball 30 metres out, showed neat control under pressure and volleyed into the corner of the net.

It sparked wild scenes of celebration from the players, and might have been applauded by 100,000 fans in the stadium but instead was netted in front of empty stands due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Many gathered at nearby cafes, sitting shoulder to shoulder watching the match on television screens.

18-year-old Abdelrahman Nasr said that although Al Ahly did not play well at first, they picked up their speed and control at the last 15 minutes, scoring their second goal.

Another fan, Mohamed Rashad, said that the Zamalek team played well, and could have easily won the match.

"We say hard luck, but they played a good game," said Rashad.

An unnamed Zamalek fan, preparing to speak about the match, burst into tears as his friends embraced him and walked away.

Hundreds of others drove across Cairo's streets, waving flags and honking their cars, with some blasting fireworks and flares.

Friday's match is the first time since the inaugural African Champions Cup final in 1965 that the final was a single game.

Ahly took an early lead when Amr Soleya headed an in-swinging corner into the net inside five minutes, reward for some early pressure as they made the brighter start.

But Zamalek grew more dominant as the half wore on and levelled thanks to a touch of magic from winger Shikabala.

He collected the ball out wide on the right, skipped past three defenders and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the goal from the edge of the box.

Zamalek continued to take the game to their rivals and were unlucky not to go ahead just past the hour when Ahmed Sayed's thunderous 35-metre drive smashed into the post.

But Magdi settled the contest with his own moment of brilliance as Ahly won the title for the first time in seven years to make up for final defeats in 2017 and 2018.

(Production: Sayed Sheasha, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Sherif Fahmy, Nadeen Ebrahim, Mussab Al-Khairalla)