(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Achraf Bencharki struck a second-half brace to seal a 3-1 win for Zamalek over Espérance Sportive de Tunis as the Egyptian side clinched the 2020 CAF Super Cup title in Doha yesterday.
In front of a full house at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, Moroccan forward Bencharki scored in the 58th minute and then completed his double deep into stoppage time to add on to Youssef Obama's early goal as their side won their first Super Cup title in 17 years and an overall fourth.
VAR was used to adjudicate a 47th minute foul by Zamalek's Mahmoud Attia that saw him shown yellow.
A handball on the defender was confirmed by VAR technology as Benguit sent Zamalek's keeper Mohamed Abu Gabal to the wrong direction.
But it was Bencharki who stole the night with a surgical shot in the 57th minute that electrified thousands of fans.
The Moroccan waived his way past two defenders to send a low shot inside Moez Ben Chrifia's net.
Esperance substitute Mohamed Ali Ben Hamouda had an 86th minute effort disallowed because of a clear foul, all but sealing the result for Zamalek's jubilant fans.
Esperance threw everyone in attack, and had their chances. Deep into injury time, Bencharki sealed victory for Zamalek, when he finished a counter attack receiving Ferjani Sassi's pass to send the ball into the net.
Yesterday's fixture helped put to bed the chaotic clash that saw Esperance qualify, the AFC Champions League at which Wydad Casablanca abandoned the final in protest at the organisers' decision not to use VAR.
Play was stopped for more than an hour at last year's clash with the Moroccan side insisting they had not been told the video ref would be deployed.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport named Esperance the winners after a bruising legal battle that did nothing to enhance the image of scandal-tainted African football.
The Super Cup is an annual one-off match pitting the winner of the CAF Champions League and second-tier CAF Confederation Cup against each other.
It was staged in Africa from its inception in 1993 until last year when it moved to Qatar.
Both teams had contested in the final five times previously, and Zamalek now have won the second most titles.
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