The first-ever knockout meeting between the two sides in the competition took place, with their last competitive clash occurring in 2012 when Mazembe defeated Al Ahly in Lubumbashi. Clear-cut chances were hard to come by in the early stages of the match.
After 32 minutes, Mazembe carved out a chance when Zemanga’s corner found Likonza, who sent his header wide of the mark. The visitors faced criticism for their approach in the previous round against Simba, but coach Marcel Koller defended their strategy as they advanced in the end.
In response, Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller made a double change at the start of the second half, with Tau making his return in place of Reda Slim while Ahmed Koka made way for Mahmoud Metwaly. This was a special milestone for Tau, who came on for his 100th appearance for the Egyptian giants.
Tau looked to make an impact in the second period and did well to pick out Mohamed Magdy with nine minutes remaining, but the Egyptian attacker failed to put his strike on target. This proved to be the final clear-cut opening for the visitors as the encounter ended all square in Lubumbashi.