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00:00.
00:22Well, hello, good evening and welcome to the Stade d'Ona here in Meknes, Morocco.
00:28It's the second leg of the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League.
00:32Asfar Rabat, the home side this evening against Egyptian powerhouse Pyramids.
00:39And it's the Egyptians who bring a 4-1 lead here from the first leg in Cairo just last Tuesday.
00:49So it's a small stadium, it's cosy.
00:52Fans will certainly make themselves heard, especially as the players and the officials come out onto the pitch now.
00:57Certainly it's a pity this game can't be played at Asfar's home stadium.
01:0350,000 home fans in there.
01:06As we've seen in previous years, the atmosphere for their home game is absolutely white-hot.
01:13So the Asfar line-up, three changes made to the side, beat 4-1 in Cairo last week.
01:22And that's back, Amin's in at right-back for El Tayeb Bukris.
01:27Henko Inonga comes in to central defence as well for Labi Nachik who had a really jittery game, especially in the first half, in the first leg.
01:35And Amin Zouzou comes in for Ahmed Hamadan on the left side of the attacking three.
01:42Hoping to be a bit more creative in the final third Asfar.
01:47They were really well marshalled by the Pyramid's back fork, by and large, in that first leg.
02:03So the captains swapping pennants there, Mohamed Ramat on your left and Ali Gaba on your right for Pyramids.
02:10Our match officials primarily from Libya this evening.
02:14His assistants are coming from Libya and Tunisia.
02:27There are the VAR officials as well.
02:32And now the Pyramids line up as well.
02:39Also three changes made here by Krunoslav Yerchic.
02:46Mohamed Mare coming into the centre of defence for Ahmed Sami, who actually played really well, I thought, in the first leg.
02:52He drops to the bench.
02:54Mohamed Hamdi comes in, we think, on the left-hand side of midfield for Ibrahim Adel, who was so good, of course, in that first leg.
03:03Scored two goals, but he's not in the squad this evening.
03:06And so, too, Ramadhan Sobhi, the attacking midfielder, replaced by Vali Delkati in midfield.
03:13And number 18, expect him to play more of a central role.
03:17And you see on that graphic,
03:21Mieli also there as gets us underway then here at the Stadion Dona.
03:30Not many Pyramids fans, if any, in the stands here tonight.
03:34This is very much a partisan crowd for the Rabat-based side.
03:38Keeper comes for it, gets a good touch, but it only comes as far.
03:41It's been chipped into the back post by Zuzu.
03:45Just a little bit too much on it. El Shinawi did well to get the first touch, but they left him well out of position.
03:51Didn't get the strongest of punches here.
03:55Zuzu, I think, is trying to chip that one into the back.
03:58Not to mention the danger it can pose to the actual eyes.
04:04Get one of those lasers at the wrong angle into your iris.
04:08It draws real damage as Mieli has a pop from long distance.
04:12I'm not sure if Hamza Hamiani was all that far off his line.
04:16Played his first game in the Champions League in the first leg.
04:20It was a little bit jittery at times.
04:23It's distribution in the first half, not great.
04:30Madraf scored the goal that gave Asfar at least some chance in this second leg, the number 40.
04:38Oh, nice layoff.
04:40Orkan gets the ball back in, and there's the opener for Asfar.
04:43Eight minutes in, and it's game on here in Morocco.
04:50Lovely layoff by El Fahli.
05:00Turned into a glorious one too with Etel Kahn.
05:04And Yusuf El Fahli finally had his first goal of the Champions League this season.
05:09And how precious will that turn out to be by the end of the day?
05:13Andi with Hafez and there's a drag all over the back of the number 29.
05:37Fafez using his body well to protect the ball.
05:52Mishibi, the right back, comes up to take the corner.
05:55Little dummy with it, with Fatih.
06:00The ball, oh, loves ball in!
06:02And the header straight at the keeper.
06:04Great opportunity back in and into the keeper's hands.
06:08Here's the opportunity for Pyramids.
06:11Lovely ball in.
06:12There were, what, two, three of them there, pretty much unmarked.
06:14And the argument there would be they've got to get the header.
06:19Just a metre or two to either side of the keeper.
06:22He's not stopping that, is he?
06:23Forced back and El Fahli now eventually
06:29pulled back onto the pitch with a big load of strapping on that right thigh.
06:33Talcarnaro drives that one in.
06:37Awkward bounce for El Shinawi, well fielded by the goalkeeper.
06:41No intent there from the Pyramids player.
06:55And the corner taken short.
06:56Five white shirts to Weymar in the middle.
06:58Comes in a little bit closer to the keeper.
07:00Gets a fingertip on that at full stretch.
07:03Now Fafez now feeds the ball back in.
07:05The keeper comes again.
07:06Good two-handed punch.
07:07But only as far as Fatih.
07:09Moves it onto his left foot.
07:11Takes the strike and it's just wide of the upright.
07:24Good ball in here.
07:25Keeper doing well on both occasions actually.
07:27Especially that first one at full stretch.
07:30But managing to turn the ball out of a dangerous way as well.
07:33Not just getting a fingertip on it but
07:35pushing it away from the Pyramids players.
07:38And then the eventual shot coming in from Fatih.
07:42Just white.
07:43That banger going off right next to Lachine as he tried to play that pass.
07:51Getting a lot of that in the first half.
07:53And so far the referee has ignored it completely.
07:55Torfit now.
07:56The cross field ball over to that right hand side.
07:58Eventually comes in but it's a little bit too close to the keeper.
08:04He only tries to just to block off Amiani as he runs out of his area.
08:08Well played though.
08:10Just over the head.
08:11Just over the head.
08:12Of El Carti.
08:22Nice touch there to get passed back.
08:24Lays the ball off to El Carti.
08:26Still El Carti nearly gets into the penalty area.
08:28Cremato just getting a bit on the ball.
08:32Now the ball over the top.
08:34No offside flag going up.
08:35Eventually it does.
08:36About to say.
08:37El Farley looked way off.
08:39El Farley decided to take no chances at all there.
08:56Goes long.
08:57Couldn't find or can.
09:00Lachine shrugs off one challenge.
09:03Eventually fell just over halfway.
09:06Scored a couple of goals in the Champions League so far this season as well.
09:10Here's Lachine.
09:13I'd say that's not usual for him.
09:15Normally a more of a very humble and deep-lying player.
09:19Now a good ball in.
09:20Mijeli with the header.
09:21And there's a goal back to Pyramid.
09:23Out of the blue.
09:30And Fister Mijeli's backed his seventh goal.
09:33Mijeli's onside.
09:35He's been played on by Bach.
09:37And there's no one with him at all.
09:39In fact there's two players there completely unmarked.
09:44There will be a VAR check.
09:49Good ball in from Chibi.
09:50But again there's just no one with him.
09:52You cannot give the opposition striker a free header like that.
09:55Waving your arm in the air isn't going to help.
10:01Mijani exposed by the defenders in front of him.
10:04Well that's going to have a punctured Asfars balloon.
10:20Now the goal check.
10:25The goal check.
10:28Graphic finally comes up.
10:41And the goal.
10:42Is confirmed.
10:43Finally.
10:44Or is it?
10:45No.
10:46Offside given.
10:47By the finest of margins.
10:51Well there's a let off.
10:52For Asfars.
10:53And now looking to take advantage.
10:54Hadrath goes down in the area.
10:55Clear tackle.
10:56Being told to get up.
10:57For Hadrath.
10:58I mean he's just thrown himself to the floor.
11:02Should we need some support over there?
11:03Finally gets Machin into play.
11:04Torfik ignored on his inside.
11:06Instead goes...
11:07He's just thrown himself to the floor.
11:08Should we need some support over there?
11:09Finally gets Machin into play.
11:11Torfik ignored on his inside.
11:12He said goes...
11:13Well there's a let off.
11:16Well there's a let off.
11:17For Asfars.
11:18And now looking to take advantage.
11:19Hadrath goes down in the area.
11:21Clear tackle.
11:23Being told to get up.
11:24For Hadrath.
11:25I mean he's just thrown himself to the floor.
11:26on his inside and said goes down the line looking for Fatih but Carnero has that one covered
11:31but then slips, that's gonna be a corner isn't it? Yes it is.
11:37The Angolan left-back just slipped at the vital moment as he tried to stop just before the ball went out of play.
11:44Let's look here, slips over, there's the touch and then another touch.
11:50Well, so another set piece here for Pyramids, they've been dangerous all evening, they were dangerous in the first leg as well.
11:59Are we going to get that corner? No we're not, the referee deciding that's enough for the first half here at the Stade d'Honneur in Meknes.
12:10As far a bat leading by one goal to nil here in the second leg having trailed 4-1 from the first leg.
12:19So 2-4 on aggregate, a 3-0 win will be enough for Asfar to go through to the semi-finals.
12:25Fisto Mijeli there, unlucky to see his effort chalked off by VAR by the, for offside by the smallest to margins after what about a 3-minute VAR check on that one.
12:36Make things really interesting in this second, 45 Pyramids thought they got one back through Fisto Mijeli just before the break.
12:44That was eventually chalked off after a long VAR check for offside.
12:50So underway then here in the second half Asfar our hosts, though not at their home stadium as that is currently being used, or being refurbished rather, ahead of being used in the Africa Cup of Nations.
13:04It's also been held in Morocco at the end of the year, the Prince Moulaye Abdallah Stadium.
13:10If you think the atmosphere here with a maximum crowd of 12,000 is hot, well you should try the Moulaye Abdallah with over 50,000 in there.
13:19I'm sure Pyramids are really quite happy to be here instead.
13:26150 kilometers inland from Rabat due east, about a two-hour drive, so that's not enough to stop the Asfar fans making the trip, I can assure you.
13:34As Miani tries to get to the ball in the channel, eventually gets there, Carnero having to cover back and that's a spectacular volley clear.
13:45And now all of a sudden Asfar on the counter-attack.
13:49Oh, and there's space in behind here, here's El Fahli! Oh, brilliant save from El Shinawi.
13:54And El Shinawi comes out, he's still out there and eventually gives away the free kick and I think he's going to get a yellow card as well.
14:03Determined to get the game stopped there, wasn't he, Armand El Shinawi?
14:07Well, the first half Asfar started like a house on fire but lost a bit of their momentum as the half went on.
14:18Have they recharged themselves at half-time, I wonder?
14:23Oh, Fatih being hugged, literally hugged by Orkan but nothing given by the referee.
14:28And now Hadraf.
14:30Got Torfik for company over there on the right-hand side, Hadraf.
14:33I think wider and wider, then cuts inside.
14:37Nice ball into the near post and a slip from Gabba.
14:40What he says, there was a tug on the shirt.
14:43Does the pyramids captain?
14:51Well, I think he and El Fahli had a grip on each other there.
14:55On the set-piece then in five minutes into this second half, goes for the back post, headed up rather than away by Hamdi.
15:09Held further away there, wobbed back in Hamdi again with the header and it's going to be a tight one that one for El Shinawi.
15:13Oof, that was close, Eh Tukhan.
15:14Nearly getting to the bounce but not quite.
15:15On the set-piece then, five minutes into this second half, goes for the back post, headed up rather than away by Hamdi, held further away there, lobbed back in, Hamdi again with the header, and it's going to be a tight one that one for Ilshinawi, that was close, they took him, nearly getting to the bounce, but not quite.
15:35You can see from the look on Hamdi's face there that moving the ball quickly here Aspa, nearly, and it has indeed almost picked up by Zuzu, Zuzu gets it back again on the edge of the area, chips a nice ball into the back post, and then the header goes over the bar, and that'll be a goal kick.
16:05Claims for otherwise from the Aspa players.
16:16Well, you can see why.
16:23Salbi brings it forward.
16:27Oh, and now space in behind here for Aspa, and the deflection off the defender.
16:31Fortunately for Pyramids, goes straight to Elshinawi, that could have gone anywhere.
16:3820 minutes to go here.
16:47He's going to take the corner.
16:48Lots of dark shirts to Weymouth in there.
16:51Oh, and flicks on at the near post and just wide.
16:53Joel Beyer hits the ground in frustration.
17:02And with each passing minute, Aspa's chances of
17:06battling into the last four of the CAF Champions League gets slimmer and slimmer.
17:13Jurchic, particularly unhappy.
17:17Elkharty perhaps not making the right decision, and now there's space over on that far side for Anas Bach.
17:23Oh, nice turn.
17:24Space.
17:26Turn in the area.
17:27Laid off.
17:28Put a cross.
17:28Goal, and that's off the top of the crossbar.
17:31Aspa's so close to 2-0 on the night.
17:33I have to say, that's probably the best move of the game as well so far from Aspa.
17:44Slick one and two touch stuff down that right-hand side.
17:47Laid off here.
17:49Could have gone for the cross.
17:50Went for glory.
17:54Shinawi.
17:56Beating all ends up, and it just skimmed the top of the crossbar on its way up behind.
17:59Machine beaten in the air.
18:09And Aspa coming forwards again.
18:11Just three men up in the attack hole.
18:12Lovely weighted pass, and there's Bayer to make it 2-0.
18:21Joel Bayer has come off the bench and bagged his fourth goal for the Champions League campaign.
18:26And Aspa now, within touching distance,
18:29of the semi-finals, it looks so unlikely at the start of the night.
18:38And remember, this is a pyramid side, unbeaten in 24 matches.
18:42They've won 20 of them.
18:45They're being put to the sword here in Morocco.
18:49Lovely finish from Bayer.
18:51No chance for the goalkeeper.
18:52But surely that was far too easy.
18:59They just sliced straight through the defence.
19:06And now things really will get interesting
19:08in the last eight minutes or so.
19:11Fighting for the ball as well now.
19:26Over the top.
19:28Pyramids coming through.
19:31And now,
19:31Bayer,
19:32oh, brilliant save.
19:34Still on the attack here,
19:35and eventually put behind,
19:36put away for a throw.
19:46Such a difficult skill to get any sort of meaningful contact on a swirling ball like that.
19:51Bayer is so close.
19:52Now they're defending to be done.
19:58Zuzu's going to fancy this one.
19:59Zuzu does go for it.
20:01And the keeper,
20:02rooted to the spot.
20:11Seven minutes.
20:17Didn't seem to take a deflection, did it?
20:19The official's getting that one right.
20:21A reminder.
20:31No extra time available.
20:35Do they risk sending the keeper up for an extra man?
20:39The answer is no.
20:40And that nearly swirled into the goal.
20:43From Zuzu.
20:44Cultured second cross in.
20:46Cleared.
20:47Dirac puts it down.
20:48Bach then feasible.
20:49Back into the area.
20:50And the keeper.
20:53Delighted to let that one go out.
20:56For a goal kick.
21:03Nasty swirling cross.
21:05From the corner.
21:06And, well, what a third goal that would have been.
21:12And just cleared as far as possible.
21:15Oh.
21:16Well, was that a handball outside the area, I wonder, from Hemyani?
21:19That looks suspicious, didn't it?
21:22Now, because it's outside the penalty area, I'm not sure they would do a VAR check on that one.
21:31Now, the ball.
21:32Now, the ball lobbed in, and it rolls here, and it's gone just wide.
21:37And it's gone just wide.
21:38The snapshot from Bayer.
21:40Just for a moment, was that the final chance for Asfar, I wonder?
21:45Slaps his shins.
21:50Didn't quite catch it.
21:54The Pyramid's defence are slightly strangely standing off of the Asfar number nine.
22:01And Pyramid's have done it.
22:18Asfar have thrown everything at them here.
22:21At the stadium, Donner.
22:24But it's Pyramid's, despite losing their 24-game unbeaten run,
22:29that have won through.
22:31To the CAF Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history
22:35they'll face Orlando Pirates or MC Algier in those semi-finals at the end of the month.
22:42And you've got to feel bad for Asfar Abad.
22:45They've thrown everything into this game.
22:47They didn't play well in the first leg, but 4-1, maybe a slightly harsh scoreline,
22:52but they were deservedly beaten in Cairo.
22:55But they really put that behind them and put everything into this second leg here.
22:59In Meknes, despite Anik being unable to play at their home stadium due to the refurbishment work going on ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations at the end of this year here in Morocco.
23:10Well, the captain, Mohamed Ramat, absolutely inconsolable in the centre of the pitch there.
23:22They've put everything into it.
23:24Left nothing out there.
23:25They'll be applauded by their fans for the effort.
23:31Pyramids, well, you have to applaud them for just sticking in there in the end.
23:35Not their best performance under the utmost of pressure, especially after letting in the first goal for Yusuf El-Farley in the eighth minute,
23:45which really threatened to sweep pyramids away.
23:49Go 나 And I'll see you in the next leg.
24:07Phoenix
24:10Phoenix
24:11Phoenix
24:14Phoenix
24:16Phoenix