2021 CAF Champions League Final
# 2021 CAF Champions League Final

The 2021 CAF Champions League Final was the final match of the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, the 57th season of Africa's premier club football tournament organised by CAF, and the 25th edition under the current CAF Champions League title. It was played at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco on 17 July 2021.

Al Ahly defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3–0 to win a record-extending 10th CAF Champions League title. They also earned the right to play against Raja Casablanca, the winners of the 2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup, in the 2021–22 CAF Super Cup. Al Ahly also qualified for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in United Arab Emirates, entering from the second round.

## 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.

| Team | Zone | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
| - | - | - |
| Kaizer Chiefs | COSAFA (Southern Africa) | None |
| Al Ahly | UNAF (North Africa) | 13 (1982, 1983, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020) |

## Venue

For the second consecutive year, the final was played as a single match at a pre-selected venue by CAF instead of a two-legged fixtures format, which was being used in the competition since 1966.

On 16 May 2021, Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco was chosen by a CAF Executive Committee to host the final during a meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

## Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

| Kaizer Chiefs | Kaizer Chiefs | Kaizer Chiefs | Kaizer Chiefs | Round | Al Ahly | Al Ahly | Al Ahly | Al Ahly |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Qualifying rounds | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| PWD Bamenda | 1–0 | 1–0 (A) | 0–0 (H) | Preliminary round | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 1º de Agosto | 1–0 | 0–0 (H) | 1–0 (A) | First round | AS SONIDEP | 5–0 | 1–0 (A) | 4–0 (H) |
| Opponent | Result | Result | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | Result | Result |
| Wydad AC | 0–4 (A) | 0–4 (A) | 0–4 (A) | Matchday 1 | Al Merrikh | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (H) |
| Horoya | 0–0 (H) | 0–0 (H) | 0–0 (H) | Matchday 2 | Simba | 0–1 (A) | 0–1 (A) | 0–1 (A) |
| Petro de Luanda | 2–0 (H) | 2–0 (H) | 2–0 (H) | Matchday 3 | AS Vita Club | 2–2 (H) | 2–2 (H) | 2–2 (H) |
| Petro de Luanda | 0–0 (A) | 0–0 (A) | 0–0 (A) | Matchday 4 | AS Vita Club | 3–0 (A) | 3–0 (A) | 3–0 (A) |
| Wydad AC | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) | Matchday 5 | Al Merrikh | 2–2 (A) | 2–2 (A) | 2–2 (A) |
| Horoya | 2–2 (A) | 2–2 (A) | 2–2 (A) | Matchday 6 | Simba | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) |
| Group C runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Wydad AC 6 13 2 Kaizer Chiefs 6 9 3 Horoya 6 9 4 Petro de Luanda 6 1 Source: Soccerway | Group C runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Wydad AC 6 13 2 Kaizer Chiefs 6 9 3 Horoya 6 9 4 Petro de Luanda 6 1 Source: Soccerway | Group C runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Wydad AC 6 13 2 Kaizer Chiefs 6 9 3 Horoya 6 9 4 Petro de Luanda 6 1 Source: Soccerway | Group C runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Wydad AC 6 13 2 Kaizer Chiefs 6 9 3 Horoya 6 9 4 Petro de Luanda 6 1 Source: Soccerway | Final standings | Group A runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Simba 6 13 2 Al Ahly 6 11 3 AS Vita Club 6 7 4 Al Merrikh 6 2 Source: Soccerway | Group A runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Simba 6 13 2 Al Ahly 6 11 3 AS Vita Club 6 7 4 Al Merrikh 6 2 Source: Soccerway | Group A runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Simba 6 13 2 Al Ahly 6 11 3 AS Vita Club 6 7 4 Al Merrikh 6 2 Source: Soccerway | Group A runners-up Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Simba 6 13 2 Al Ahly 6 11 3 AS Vita Club 6 7 4 Al Merrikh 6 2 Source: Soccerway |
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Knockout stage | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Simba | 4–3 | 4–0 (H) | 0–3 (A) | Quarter-finals | Mamelodi Sundowns | 3–1 | 2–0 (H) | 1–1 (A) |
| Wydad AC | 1–0 | 1–0 (A) | 0–0 (H) | Semi-finals | Espérance de Tunis | 4–0 | 1–0 (A) | 3–0 (H) |

## Format

The final was played as a single match at a pre-selected venue, with the winner of semi-final 1 according to the knockout stage draw designated as the "home" team for administrative purposes. If scores were level after full time, extra time would not to be played and the winner would be decided by a penalty shoot-out (Regulations Article III. 28).

## Match

### Details

| Kaizer Chiefs | Al Ahly |
| - | - |
| GK | 1 | Daniel Akpeyi |
| RB | 2 | Ramahlwe Mphahlele |
| CB | 3 | Eric Mathoho |
| CB | 4 | Daniel Cardoso |
| LB | 23 | Reeve Frosler |
| RM | 12 | Njabulo Blom | | 59' |
| CM | 14 | Willard Katsande | | 76' |
| LM | 25 | Bernard Parker (c) | 9' |
| RF | 15 | Nkosingiphile Ngcobo | | 46' |
| CF | 9 | Samir Nurković | | 90+2' |
| LF | 19 | Happy Mashiane | 45+4' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 26 | Bruce Bvuma |
| DF | 20 | Yagan Sasman |
| DF | 27 | Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya |
| DF | 30 | Siyabonga Ngezana |
| MF | 5 | Teddy Akumu | | 59' |
| MF | 22 | Philani Zulu | | 76' |
| FW | 7 | Lazarous Kambole | | 90+2' |
| FW | 8 | Leonardo Castro |
| FW | 11 | Khama Billiat | | 46' |
| Manager: ||
| Stuart Baxter ||
| GK | 1 | Mohamed El Shenawy (c) |
| RB | 25 | Akram Tawfik |
| CB | 3 | Badr Benoun | 80' | 90' |
| CB | 12 | Ayman Ashraf | 21' | 46' |
| LB | 21 | Ali Maâloul |
| CM | 17 | Amr El Solia |
| CM | 8 | Hamdy Fathy |
| RW | 14 | Hussein El Shahat | 90+2' |
| AM | 19 | Mohamed Magdy | | 90' |
| LW | 27 | Taher Mohamed | 50' | 67' |
| CF | 10 | Mohamed Sherif | | 90' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 13 | Ali Lotfi |
| DF | 2 | Mahmoud Wahid |
| DF | 6 | Yasser Ibrahim | | 46' |
| DF | 30 | Mohamed Hany |
| MF | 15 | Aliou Dieng | 86' | 67' |
| FW | 7 | Mahmoud Kahraba | | 90' |
| FW | 9 | Marwan Mohsen |
| FW | 18 | Salah Mohsen | | 90' |
| FW | 28 | Junior Ajayi | | 90' |
| Manager: ||
| Pitso Mosimane ||
| Man of the Match: Mohamed Magdy (Al Ahly) Assistant referees: Elvis Guy Noupue (Cameroon) Dick Okello (Uganda) Fourth official: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon) Video assistant referee: Rédouane Jiyed (Morocco) Assistant video assistant referees: Zakaria Brinsi (Morocco) Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) | Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shoot-out if scores level. Nine named substitutes, of which up to five may be used. |

### Statistics

First half :

| Statistic | Kaizer Chiefs | Al Ahly |
| - | - | - |
| Goals scored | 0 | 0 |
| Total shots | 1 | 6 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 1 |
| Ball possession | 28% | 72% |
| Corner kicks | 3 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 1 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |

Second half :

| Statistic | Kaizer Chiefs | Al Ahly |
| - | - | - |
| Goals scored | 0 | 3 |
| Total shots | 2 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 0 | 4 |
| Saves | 1 | 0 |
| Ball possession | 31% | 69% |
| Corner kicks | 3 | 4 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 4 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |

Overall :

| Statistic | Kaizer Chiefs | Al Ahly |
| - | - | - |
| Goals scored | 0 | 3 |
| Total shots | 3 | 16 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 4 |
| Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Ball possession | 30% | 70% |
| Corner kicks | 6 | 6 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 5 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |
