African stars are not only shining on the continent but all over the world too, and one individual rose as a giant among them with his performance in the CAF Champions League on the weekend.
Egyptian giants Al Ahly got their 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign off to a flying start after breezing past Ghanaian outfit Medeama SC in a group stage opener, beating them by a convincing three goals to nil.
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As dominant as the Red Devils were, having had 74% of the ball during the game, they had to wait until the 66th minute to break the deadlock, courtesy of Mahmoud Kahraba.
The side's next goal would come just under 10 minutes later, with Hussein Al Shahat finding the back of the net in the 75th minute, while Salah Mohsen wrapped the game up for the hosts, putting it beyond doubt in the 88th minute.
While there were a number of displays worthy of recognition from the footballing world, one player stood out after contributing defensively as well as offensively, and also getting his name on the scoresheet.
Al Shahat emerged as the standout performer after putting in an incredible shift on the left side of the pitch, receiving a rating of 8.8 from FotMob.
With a 77% pass accuracy, he managed to create four chances, proving a creative force in the Ahly set-up as they look to recover from the setback of losing to Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals of the inaugural African Football League earlier this month.
The Egypt star also displayed immense confidence as he amassed 57 touches during the course of the game, with 12 of those being in the opposition box. He also made three passes into the final third and won two fouls for his side, showing that he was a thorn in the side of his opposition.
On the defensive front, he made one interception, and won three out of five duels to help his side to a victory as they pursue yet another continental triumph.
His hard work led to the interception he made in the opposition's defensive third that subsequently led to his goal and Al Ahly's second strike against Medeama. After he won the ball back, he made a surging run into the box and squared the ball but the initial strike was saved by goalkeeper Felix Kyei and fell back into the path of Shahat, who was more than happy to slot the ball home.
On the domestic front, Shahat, according to Transfermarkt, has featured in three of his side's five league games so far this season, and has garnered one goal and an assist up to this point, contributing to the Red Devils' unbeaten start to the campaign.
The Egyptian talisman moved to Al Ahly in 2019 from United Arab Emirates side Al Ain FC, which turned out to be a successful switch considering the numbers he has put up since joining the Egyptian giants. In 192 appearances for the Club of the Century, the 31-year-old has scored 46 goals and provided a further 44 assists.
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In addition to that, the player has won the Egyptian Premier League three times since making the move to Cairo. He has also won the CAF Champions League on three occasions, as well as well as the CAF Super Cup twice.
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