Rodger De Sa has pulled the curtain back on what makes Al Ahly such a force in African football.
Former Orlando Pirates head coach Roger De Sa has revealed what makes Al Ahly such a force in African football.
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No other club on the continent has won more CAF Champions League titles than the Red Devils. They have 12 to their name, seven more than the next best clubs, TP Mazembe and Zamalek.
The Club of the Century are once again in the knockout stages of this season’s iteration of the competition, and their head coach, Marcel Koller, will be looking to add to the club’s lore by making more history—winning a third straight continental title, having already secured the last two.
Coaches such as Manuel Jose and Pitso Mosimane have managed the club and won back-to-back Champions League titles, but no team in the tournament’s history has successfully completed a three-peat.
One manager who has firsthand experience of how formidable Ahly are on the continental stage is Roger De Sa. The South African tactician was the last manager to lead Pirates to a Champions League final but was defeated 3-1 on aggregate by Ahly. He claims that the Egyptian giants have always maintained an insane drive to win it.
“When I played them 10 years ago, they were a team with massive pedigree and their team was full of superstars,” the Maputo-born coach told Soccer Laduma.
“(Mohamed) Aboutrika alone was probably the best player in Africa at the time and they had many others, but it was a team that went all out to win the African Cup. I mean, the domestic league for them is just second nature, they win it nine out of ten years.
“For them, it’s all systems go for the Champions League, and they know how to play in it. They have so much pedigree, so much experience in that competition.
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“Don’t forget that CAF (Confederation of African Football) is based in Cairo and was basically run by the North Africans, but I think that power has shifted drastically, and even having a president from down south has played a big part.”
GLENDALE, ARIZ. (Feb. 23, 2025) — Lynn Biyendolo’s first-minute strike and Michelle Cooper’s first international goal lifted the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 2-1 win over Australia and onto the threshold of a sixth consecutive SheBelieves Cup crown.
The USA will face Japan, a familiar foe when a title is on the line, for the SheBelieves Cup trophy on Feb. 26 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET; TBS, Universo, Max, Peacock, Westwood One Sports). Japan defeated Colombia, 4-1, earlier Sunday and thanks to its superior goal difference during the four-team round robin, the Nadeshiko need only a draw to win the prestigious annual tournament for the first time. The Americans will have to win to claim their eighth overall SheBelieves championship.
The USWNT will get that opportunity due to a well-earned victory over the spirited Matildas before 25,503fans where coach Emma Hayes made a bit of program history by swapping out all 11 women who started the 2-0 win over Colombia in the SheBelieves opener on Feb. 20. The match marked just the sixth occasion in 758 all-time matches (and first time since 2000) that the USWNT’s starting lineup featured 11 changes in consecutive outings, and it was the first time it occurred during the same event/camp that didn’t include a closed-door friendly.
Sunday’s starting XI was the USA’s youngest since March 2001 and featured international debutant Claire Hutton, the 19-year-old Kansas City Current midfielder, and first-time captain Tierna Davidson, who earned her 66th cap. Alyssa and Gisele Thompson were deployed on the right and became the second set of sisters to start a USWNT game together — Kristie and Samantha Mewis did it three times, most recently on July 5, 2021.
Mandy McGlynn received her second career nod in goal while left back Crystal Dunn (appearing for the USA for first time since last summer’s Olympic final) and Biyendolo (formerly Williams, who scored her first goal under her married name), added some big-game pedigree.
It took only 41 seconds for that refreshed lineup to make an impact. The USA built quickly through midfield before left forward Emma Sears dribbled toward the penalty area and attracted a trio of Australian defenders. Sears’ foray gave midfielder Jaedyn Shaw the space and time to finish a smart overlapping run and after receiving a short through pass, Shaw slid the ball across the six-yard line to Biyendolo. The simple finish was Biyendolo’s 22nd international goal, the USA’s 50th in SheBelieves history and its fastest to start a game since Ashley Hatch scored on 24 seconds in a November 2021 friendly against the same opponent.
While there are two first-minute goals in U.S. history for which the exact second of the score is unknown, Biyendolo’s goal was the ninth fastest in USWNT history for goals in which U.S. Soccer has an exact time.
Biyendolo had an eighth-minute tap-in nullified for offside and then forced a leaping save from Australia’s Teagan Micah in the 16th. The USA’s speed and efficiency in the attack was giving the fifteenth-ranked Matildas trouble and the visitors’ attempt to build through shorter passes in order to settle the tempo invited U.S. pressure. In the 25th, midfielder Korbin Albert nicked the ball and set up a shot from Shaw that sailed just beyond the left post. Although Australia’s spacing and possession improved as intermission approached, none of its five first-half shots required McGlynn’s intervention.
Davidson’s timely recovery after McGlynn was pressured into a turnover by Australia’s Holly McNamara preserved the U.S. lead early in the second half. The goalkeeper recovered quickly, however, and punched away two threatening Matilda corner kicks in the 53rd. Biyendolo then nearly capitalized on an Australian giveaway, but after picking off Winonah Heatley’s errant back pass in the 57th, the first-half goal scorer sent her shot into the side netting.
Hayes made four changes in the 62nd minute, sending on Cooper, defender Tara McKeown, forward Yazmeen Ryan and forward Ally Sentnor. Six minutes later, Cooper and Sentnor combined to double the American lead. Defender Gisele Thompson recovered a rebound in the Australian penalty area and knocked the ball to Hutton, who slipped a perfect through pass back inside to Sentnor. The 21-year-old then cut the ball back past an Australian defender, and it rolled straight to Cooper, who wasted no time in delivering a 10-yard shot inside the left post. It was the 22-year-old Current forward’s first international goal in her second appearance, and it was Sentnor’s first senior assist (she scored against Colombia on Feb. 20).
The Matildas recovered from that blow quickly and halved the deficit with a lightning strike of a goal in the 80th. A long ball from the Australian half found veteran winger Hayley Raso on the right and her driven cross was headed in by substitute forward Michelle Heyman. Australia remained in contention thanks to Micah’s spectacular save on Sentnor in the 88th, but the USA closed the game out without further incident, setting up the SheBelieves showdown with Japan.
The Americans outshot the visitors, 15-7, and the Matildas’ only shot on target was Heyman’s. The USA now hold a 30W-1L-5D advantage in the all-time series against Australia.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
USA — Lynn Biyendolo (Jaedyn Shaw), 1st minute: The USA progressed from its own penalty area to Australia’s in seconds and Emma Sears drew the defense toward her with some patient dribbling. She fed the overlapping Shaw on the left side of the penalty area and Shaw hit a low cross across the six-yard line for Biyendolo to finish cleanly from close range. USA 1, AUS 0
USA — Michelle Cooper (Ally Sentnor), 68th minute: Giselle Thompson sent a pass back to midfield debutant Claire Hutton, whose through ball split the Australian defense and found Sentnor back inside the penalty area. Sentnor cut the ball sharply to her left to bypass Australia’s Steph Catley, and Cooper was in position to finish the play with a first-time shot into the lower left corner. USA 2, AUS 0
AUS — Michelle Heyman (Hayley Raso), 80th minute: Raso knocked down a long pass on the right flank and delivered a perfect cross toward the edge of the six-yard box. Heyman split the U.S. center backs and was open and to send a low, hard header past U.S. goalie Mandy McGlynn. USA 2, AUS 1 FINAL
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Sunday’s lineup featured 11 changes from the lineup that started the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup opener against Colombia on Thursday.
The 11 changes marked just the sixth time in USWNT history – which spans 758 matches counting today’s game — that the lineup changed all 11 starters from game-to-game. It’s just the second time it has happened during the same event/camp, and the first time it has happened during one event/camp that did not include a closed-door international match.
Lynn Biyendolo made her first start of 2025 and opened scoring for the USWNT in the first minute of the match. It was her 22nd career international goal, and it came in her 77th appearance. Biyendolo scored under her married name for the first time against the country of her husband’s birth.
Biyendolo’s goal was the USWNT’s 50th goal scored all-time in the SheBelieves Cup tournament.
Jaedyn Shaw earned the assist on Biyendolo’s opener, picking up her first assist of 2025 and the second of her USWNT career.
After making her USWNT debut against Colombia last Thursday in Houston, forward Michelle Cooper scored her first senior international goal on Sunday to push the WNT’s lead to 2-0 in the 68th minute. Cooper entered the match as a second half substitute, replacing Alyssa Thompson in the 62nd minute.
After scoring the USWNT’s second goal against Colombia on Thursday, Ally Sentnor assisted on the USWNT’s second on Sunday and registered her first international assist in the process. Sentnor entered the match alongside the goal scorer Cooper in the 62nd minute, coming on for Crystal Dunn.
Defender Tierna Davidson captained the USA for the first time tonight, doing so in her 66th international appearance.
Claire Hutton earned her first cap and made her first start, becoming the 273rd woman to play for the USWNT and the 15th player to debut under Head Coach Emma Hayes.
Gisele Thompson earned her first USWNT start just days after making her international debut on Feb. 20 vs. Colombia.
With Gisele Thompson starting alongside her sister Alyssa, tonight’s match marked the fourth time in U.S. history that a pair of sisters have started a match together. All three other instances belong to the Mewis sisters, Kristie and Samantha.
Mandy McGlynn made her second career start in net and earned her second career cap after debuting last Oct. 30 in a 3-0 win vs. Argentina.
Hayes earned her 15th win as head coach of the USWNT, bringing her overall record to 15-0-2.
– 2025 Shebelieves cup MATCH REPORT –
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Australia Women’s National Team
After retiring their cleats from Wallis Annenberg Stadium, a lineup of former Bruins will now step onto the professional stage.
As the 2024 season came to a close, the then-No. 2 seed Bruins faced a shorter season than expected, falling short of an NCAA title for the second consecutive year after a second-round exit against then No. 7 seed Virginia Tech. However, their legacy of excellence continues to shine, as eight Bruins have signed professional contracts, taking their talents to clubs across the globe.
“Being a top program in the country, so many of our players aspire to play at the professional level – that’s what drives us,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “We feel it’s our responsibility to develop them as much as possible so they can make that transition smoothly.”
As UCLA continues to cement its reputation as a powerhouse for developing soccer talent, several seniors and graduate students from the 2023-2024 season are taking the next step in their careers, transitioning from collegiate competition to the professional stage.
“I think that whole class is just a class to look up to,” said junior forward America Frias. “They were the embodiment of our culture, of hard work, our work ethic –everything.”
Leading the charge is senior defender Lilly Reale, the first of this year’s class to lace up for the pros.
The 2024 Big Ten Defender of the Year and First Team All-American heads across the country to New Jersey to join Gotham FC as a defender. Reale made a name for herself over four standout seasons with the Bruins, collecting an array of accolades, including three consecutive conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, two MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist nods and the Honda Sport Award. As the squad’s captain, she leaves behind a legacy of excellence and leadership, one that returning players say has left a lasting impression on them.
“They (seniors) definitely showed me hard work, discipline and great time management,” said sophomore midfielder Val Vargas. “Especially Lilly – I feel like she had a lot going on school wise and soccer wise, and she obviously impacted our work ethic.”
Reale isn’t the only Bruin making the leap to the East Coast for a change of scenery. Graduate student goalkeeper Ryan Campbell and junior midfielder Sofia Cook, who have also signed with the New York-based club, will join their former teammate across the country.
Campbell, a standout goalkeeper from Stanford and the Big Ten leader in shutouts, will add depth to Gotham FC’s roster alongside Cook, who played a key role in UCLA’s midfield.
Five of the eight Bruins heading to the pros have earned All-North Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches. The Gotham FC recruits claimed first-team recognition while the West Coast squad standouts secured second-team honors.
Staying on the West Coast are senior defenders Jayden Perry and Quincy McMahon, who are continuing their careers in the National Women’s Soccer League. Perry has signed with the Portland Thorns while McMahon is joining the San Diego Wave, making them the fourth and fifth Bruins, respectively, to go pro at the end of this past season.
Senior defender Jayden Perry passes the ball with her left foot. Similarly to Reale, she earned All-North Region and All-Big Ten second-team honors after the 2024 season. (Daily Bruin file photo)
Perry will reunite with former UCLA forward teammate Reilyn Turner, who signed with Racing Louisville upon her graduation and has since been signed to the Thorns as of August. Meanwhile, McMahon, UCLA’s leading scorer and Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, will take on a defender role for the Waves after proving indispensable for the Bruins across three positions.
“I’m going to miss her (McMahon), and I do miss her every single day,” Frias said. “She’s one of my closest friends, and she was just such a great role model. I wish all the younger players could have seen the kind of player and person she was – both on and off the field.”
The final three committed Bruins will make their professional debuts on the international stage, with midfielders graduate student Maya Evans and senior Alice Barbieri signing with U.C. Sampdoria in Genoa, Italy, alongside senior defender Ayo Oke who signed a contract with Club Pachuca in Hidalgo, Mexico.
“They set an example of what it looks like, what it takes and what it feels like to put that work in,” Aozasa said. “They’re also great resources for our players – so as they go on and experience the pros – and we’re just really proud that that’s kind of a new core group of our alumni playing at the next level.”
17s, you’ve done it again. Atlanta United recorded an attendance of 65,520, the third-largest crowd for a soccer match in the world on Saturday. The 5-Stripes took down CF Montréal 3-2, as new signing Emmanuel Latte Lath scored a brace in his competitive debut with the club. Both of his goals had 17s rocking, and you could truly here the force of north of 65,000 passionate supporters.
Fans had plenty of reasons to be in the building. A new head coach led a team with new signings all over the pitch, maybe none more energizing than Miguel Almirón, who dazzled in his return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, assisting the winning/go ahead goal. As the lineups were announced, fans waited for No. 10’s name to be called. A roar erupted as Miggy’s smile showed on the Halo Board once again. Fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the pitch in the 99th minute. Bienvenidos a casa, Miggy.
ATLiens also got to witness a milestone for another club legend, as Brad Guzan made his 200th appearance for the club. Chants of “GUZZZ” echoed throughout the ground as the veteran captain came up with a few clutch saves down the stretch.
Latte Lath set the stadium ablaze twice during the match, but no sound could match the sound of the winner. Substitute Edwin Mosquera’s strike in the 85th minute proved the decider.
17s brought the energy from before the first whistle and long after the final one. The 2025 season is off to a thunderous start, as the city united around its squad in a dramatic win.
Former United States national team and MLS goalkeeper Tony Meola is recovering after suffering a heart attack Thursday, one day before his 56th birthday.
Meola underwent an unspecified procedure after the heart attack. He told Front Row Soccer that he ran four miles last Saturday and had the heart attack five days later.
“If I get one of you to go to the doctor and get a checkup, this was all worth it for me,” Meola said, according to Front Row Soccer. “I’m going to be fine in a week, but I should have been smarter.”
Meola was the USMNT’s starting goalie in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and was a backup in 2002. He made 101 appearances for the national team and had 35 shutouts.
Meola was a four-time All-Star in 11 MLS seasons with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996-98), Kansas City Wizards (1999-2004) and New York Red Bulls (2005-06).
Meola was the regular-season MVP and MLS Cup MVP in 2000 when Kansas City won the title. He had 16 regular-season shutouts and added five more in the postseason.
Overall, he had 62 clean sheets in 250 MLS starts. In 23 playoff matches, he had eight shutouts.
After the 1994 World Cup, the New York Jets brought in Meola, who kicked off five times during the preseason but failed to make the team.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.
