Former Esperance Tunis player Mohamed Al-Qizani has described the CAF Champions League quarter-final first leg between Al Ahly and Esperance as a tightly contested encounter, insisting that the outcome of the tie remains evenly poised ahead of the return match in Cairo.
Esperance secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg at the Rades Stadium, with Mohamed Amine Tougai scoring from the penalty spot. However, Al-Qizani believes the narrow margin leaves both teams with an equal chance of progressing to the semi-finals.
Balanced first-leg encounter
Speaking about the match, Al-Qizani emphasised that both teams approached the game cautiously, resulting in a contest largely dominated by midfield battles.
“The match was difficult for both teams, and Esperance tried to impose a high pace and succeeded in creating clear scoring opportunities on two or three occasions, while Al-Ahly did not take many risks on the offensive side.”
He noted that the Egyptian side appeared more focused on maintaining balance rather than pushing forward aggressively.
“Al-Ahly has great technical value in its roster of players, but I felt that it was looking more for balance and did not believe in its attacking capabilities as we have been used to from it in African matches.”
Tactical caution and limited attacking variety
Al-Qizani pointed out that Al Ahly’s approach lacked attacking urgency, with the team prioritising control in midfield over offensive risks.
“The team did not rush into attack as expected, and was looking to control the midfield more than take risks up front.”
He also highlighted a lack of diversity in their attacking play.
” Al-Ahly’s problem in this match was that they relied too much on the wings, especially on Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet and Ashraf Ben Sharqi, and we did not see much variety in the attacking solutions.”
According to him, the overall tempo of the game reflected mutual caution.
“The match in general did not witness much open play, and was confined to the middle of the field, where both teams seemed wary of each other.”
Goalkeeper performance and key players
Despite the limited attacking action, Al-Qizani praised Al Ahly goalkeeper Mustafa Shobeir for his performance.
“From my point of view, goalkeeper Mustafa Shobeir was the man of the match after saving two clear chances, especially the dangerous chance at the end of the first half.”
He also suggested that several key attacking players did not meet expectations.
“Ben Sharqi, Zizo and Trezeguet were a question mark in the match, because the fans were expecting a greater performance from them, but they were not at their best.”
Esperance’s defensive approach
Al-Qizani credited Esperance for maintaining defensive discipline throughout the match.
“Despite the ordinary capabilities available to them, Esperance knew how to maintain their defensive balance and close down the spaces in front of Al-Ahly players.”
He added that the Tunisian side prioritised avoiding conceding at home.
“Esperance was keen above all to avoid conceding a goal at home, because they knew that would have made their task much more difficult in the return leg.”
The penalty goal, he said, provided a slight advantage heading into the second leg.
“Scoring a goal from a penalty kick gives Esperance a relative advantage before the return leg in Cairo.”
Experience and expectations for return leg
Al-Qizani acknowledged the strength of Al Ahly’s squad compared to their opponents.
“On paper, Al Ahly has names and a much greater marketing value than Esperance players , such as Trezeguet, Zizo and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane.”
However, he noted that some Esperance players lack recent experience due to absence or injury.
“On the other hand, some Esperance players do not have the same African experience, such as Mohamed Drager who was away from matches, and Youssef Msakni who is returning from injury.”
Looking ahead, he expects a different approach from both sides.
“The return match will be very difficult for both teams, and I expect Al-Ahly to put on a more attacking performance in Cairo.”
He added that Esperance would likely remain cautious.
“Esperance will try to be defensively balanced, close down the gaps, and look for quick counter-attacks.”
Tie still open
Al-Qizani believes the second leg could produce a more open contest.
“I think the return match will be technically better than the first leg, because both teams will be more daring.”
He concluded by stressing that the tie remains evenly balanced.
“The chances of both teams are still equal at fifty percent for each team, because they are among the top teams on the continent and have a lot of experience in such confrontations.”
