Al Ahly failed to qualify for the 2025 CAF Champions League final after drawing the second-leg match against Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals. The match, held at Cairo International Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw, causing the Red Devils to miss the chance to reach their sixth consecutive final.
As a result, Al Ahly will miss out on appearing in the final for the first time since 2020, losing the opportunity to achieve a historic feat by maintaining their dominance in the CAF Champions League and winning the title for the sixth consecutive time. This defeat means Al Ahly has failed to reach the final for the fourth time in the last four editions.
Since winning three consecutive titles in 2020 and 2021, Al Ahly had hoped to retain the trophy and extend their remarkable record, but Sundowns managed to end the Red Devils’ dream this season.
This is the fourth time Al Ahly has lost the chance to compete for the title, having been eliminated in three previous seasons. The first was in 2007 when the team was knocked out of the tournament after winning the 2005 and 2006 titles, losing in the final to Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel. The second time was in 2014, when Al Ahly was eliminated in the preliminary round after winning the previous two editions in 2012 and 2013.
In 2022, Al Ahly lost the CAF Champions League final to Moroccan side Wydad, despite having won the title in 2020 and 2021, which caused great disappointment among the Red Devils' supporters. Once again, in 2025, came the fourth failure after Sundowns managed to eliminate Al Ahly following a fierce battle in the semi-finals.
It seems that Al Ahly will face a new challenge in the upcoming period to regain their balance and compete for the title in future editions, especially after this defeat, which reflected the great difficulty the team faces in maintaining their continental dominance. This period will be an opportunity to reassess the team and its readiness for upcoming African competitions.
It’s worth noting that Al Ahly had won the CAF Champions League title in the last two seasons, 2023 and 2024, but failed to maintain their successful run in 2025 after the unexpected exit in the semi-finals.
