Forward Oualid Azaro netted a hat-trick to inspire Al Ahly to a 6-2 win over Etoile du Sahel on Sunday in Alexandria and set up a final date with Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco.
The Moroccan was the hero as the record eight time winners tore Etoile into shreds and advance to the final, their first since 2013, 7-4 on aggregate.
It was a vintage performance from the Cairo giants, outplaying their Tunisian guests, who carried a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
It took just two minutes for Ahly to break the deadlock courtesy left-back Ali Maaloul, from a free-kick that Etoile goalkeeper Aymen Mathloutji failed to make a firm grab, allowing the ball to roll into the net.
At that time it was two-all on aggregate and advantage Ahly, but the Egyptian champions never rested on their oars.
Swift counter attacking play saw Azaro score twice before the interval. The Moroccan headed home from a Moamen Zakaria cross on 23 minutes before Maaloul set him up six minutes before the break to make it 3-0.
Back from recess, Ahly took the game beyond the visitors with Azaro completing his hat-trick on 48 minutes.
Etoile pulled one back through Rami Bedoui on 51 minutes but a Hamdi Naguez own-goal restored the four goal lead of the Egyptians.
Three minutes past the hour mark, Ahly defender Rami Rabia scored his side’s sixth with a thunderbolt that Mathlouti failed to stop to put the icing on the cake, with Iheb Msakni grabbing a consolation in stoppage time.
Ahly will contest Wydad for the 2,500,000 US Dollar prize-money and the ticket to represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in December.
