MENA Sports Wrap: Trezeguet shines for Al-Ahly in CAF Champions League

Egyptian legend Trezeguet shined for his childhood club Al-Ahly in the CAF Champions League game against Young Africans, where he scored twice, while Al-Hilal were handed a disappointing draw against relegation-threatened Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.

Elsewhere in Gulf football, UAE outfit Sharjah won their first trophy of the 2025-2026 season.

Stunning Trezeguet brace fires Al-Ahly atop CAF Champions League group

The CAF Champions League's weekend bouts saw most games involving North African teams end in draws, however, Egypt’s Ahly earned a well-deserved victory over Young Africans of Tanzania on Friday, following a stellar performance from former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud Trezeguet.

The seasoned Egypt international scored two goals for the Red Devils in an otherwise cagey start to the game for the Cairo giants.

Young Africans looked dominant from the get-go, creating chances and putting goalkeeper Mohammed El-Shennawy to work.

But it was the Egyptians who broke the deadlock after a header by Trezeguet, which came following a fantastic cross from Mohamed Hany, moments before the end of the first half.

Trezeguet scored the brace in the 75th minute, who silkily moved past several defenders to net the second goal.

Trezeguet’s efforts secured Al-Ahly’s place atop Group B with seven points with the Cairo side hoping to continue their dominance in the pan-African tournament.

The Egyptian has now scored a total of five goals in three games for the club in the competition so far, putting him at level with Brazilian Tiago Reis from Angolan club Petro Luanda at the top of the charts.

Over the weekend, Algeria’s JS Kabylie drew 0-0 against Moroccan outfit AS FAR, while RS Berkane’s game against Pyramids FC also ended with the same result.

Sudan’s Al-Hilal drew 2-2 with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, while MC Alger and ES Tunis lost 1-0 each to Congolese outfit FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo and Tanzania's Simba, respectively.

SPL leaders Al-Hilal handed a surprise draw against relegation-battling Al-Riyadh

Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal’s 13-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday after the Riyadh club were handed a draw against city minnows Al-Riyadh.

Al-Hilal’s draw against Al-Riyadh came as a shock, given that the clubs sit on opposing ends of the Saudi Pro League table.

Al-Riyadh, currently 18th and threatened with relegation, came back from 1-0 down to earn their well-earned point.​

Simone Inzaghi's side took the lead in the 26th minute, after struggling to break down Al-Riyadh’s defence, thanks to Marcos Leonardo who tapped the ball into an open net following an attempt from former Liverpool man Darwin Nunez.

Al-Hilal controlled much of the game, but failed to convert several attempts as star players Ruben Neves and Salem Al-Dawsari were absent due to injury.

Al-Riyadh had little to offer attacking-wise in the first half, but stepped up the tempo after the break and gained more possession of the ball.

In the 58th minute, Al-Riyadh managed to equalise. Ibrahim Bayesh bundled the ball into the back of the net following a corner-kick cross from Toze.

Al-Hilal were then spurred on to find the winner, but failed to do so thanks to saves from Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan.

The visitors thought they scored a late match-winner after Cesar and Nasser Al-Dawsari combined in the box, only for the referee to raise the offside flag, making the title race a bit more interesting.

Al-Hilal’s seven-point lead has now been reduced to five following Sunday’s draw, with second-place Al-Ahli Al-Saudi slowly closing the gap.

The Al-Malakis enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over newly-promoted outfit Neom on Saturday, with goals coming from Ivan Toney, the former Brentford man, Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez, and Enzo Millot.

Third-place Al-Qadsiah also netted three goals in their Sunday game against Al Najma SC.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, currently in fourth place in the SPL table, face Al-Akhdoud on Monday. Al-Ittihad also play against Damac on the same day.

Sharjah FC win first trophy of the season with UAE-Qatar Super Cup

Emirati side Sharjah FC defeated Doha-based Al Gharafa on penalties to win the UAE-Qatar Super Cup at the Thani bin Jassim Stadium on Thursday. 

The match saw the two Gulf giants end the game 1-1 at full time, forcing the game to go to penalties, with the Sharjah-based team edging Al-Gharafa 5-4 on penalties.

A frustrating first half saw neither team breaking the deadlock, despite decent efforts from both.

In the 10th minute, Al-Gharafa had a chance to take the lead after former Spanish international Joselu unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty area, forcing Sharjah's goalkeeper Adel Al-Hosani to make the save. The ball then fell to captain Yacine Brahimi, who was unable to net in the rebounded ball, forcing Al-Hosani to deny a second opportunity for the Qatari side.

Sharjah's first real threat came in the 24th minute when Ousmane Camara fired a powerful shot, which was saved by Khalifa Abu Bakr.

In the 62nd minute, Sharjah once again denied an Al Gharafa chance to take the lead, after Ferjani Sassi’s header was cleared away by defender Luan Pereira.

Al-Gharafa kept on pressing and finally broke the deadlock after Florinel Coman scored the opening goal.

The Qatari side’s lead, however, did not last long. Pereira took advantage of a lapse in Al-Gharafa's marking to equalise in the 73rd minute. Both teams continued their search for a second goal, but the match ended 1-1 after regular time, leading directly to a penalty shootout.

Jang Hyung-Soo's miss meant Sharjah won 5-4 on penalties, leading them to their third-ever UAE-Qatar Super Cup trophy.

Following the end of the game, a delighted Sharjah coach Jose Morais, said: "It is always important to win a trophy. I am pleased that it was a high-quality match. I hope this competition will continue in the coming years."