Wael Goma battles Akombo of Sunshine

MTNFOOTBALL.COM

Nigeria’s Sunshine Stars drew 3-3 with Al Ahly of Egypt in a CAF Champions League first leg semi-final on Saturday in Ijebu-Ode.

Ahly enjoy the advantage going into second leg in Cairo in two weeks as they have scored three goals away from home, reports MTNFootball.com.

However, a defiant Sunshine coach Gbenga Ogunbote told MTNFootball.com that his team are from out of reckoning for a place in the final against the winners of the other semi-final between defending champions Esperance and TP Mazembe from DR Congo.

"It is not over. We will go to Cairo for our result to take us to final,” said Ogunbote.

“If we get the kind of officiating that we had here in Cairo, we will get to final.”

Record winners Ahly looked like they had got the game in the bag after they took a 2-0 lead after half an hour as their hosts showed them too much respect.

The Egyptian champions went in front in the 18th minute through striker Mohamed ‘Geddo’ Nagy, whose shot from outside the box beat Sunshine goalkeeper Moses Ocheje.

Ahly doubled their advantage through Mahdy El Sayed in the 30th minute when he squeezed the ball home from an acute angle.

Sunshine reduced the deficit in the 40th minute, when Cameroonian midfielder Tamen Medrano curler from the edge of the box flew beyond Ahly goalkeeper Sherif Elkramy.

The home team restored parity in the 73rd minute from the penalty spot through Dele Olorundare after a goal-bound Ajani Ibrahim was upended by Mohamed Nagy.

However, the Red Devils from Cairo restored their lead a minute later when 25-year-old Nagy scored his second goal of the day.

Sunshine defender Precious Osasco ensured the spoils were shared in this encounter when in the 83rd minute he fired his a 25-yard free kick past Elkramy to bring scores to 3-3.

Nagy had a chance to complete his hat-trick three minutes from time but his header off a corner from inside the box somehow missed the target.

And at the other end of the pitch, Olorundare’s drive was saved by the Ahly goalkeeper on the dot of full time.