Al Ahly — Young Africans Prediction, H2H and Probable Lineups — 23 January 2026
Young Africans
On January 23, 2026, in the third round of the CAF Champions League group stage, Al Ahly will host Young Africans. The match is scheduled to kick off at 17:00 Central European Time. Let’s take a closer look at the potential outcome of this clash.
Al Ahly
Al Ahly come into this match in rather unconvincing form. Over their last seven matches, the team have recorded only two wins, one draw, and four defeats. All of these games came in Egypt’s domestic cup competitions, and Al Ahly were eliminated from both tournaments. In the Egyptian Premier League, Al Ahly currently sit third in the standings with 23 points, trailing the league leader by six points. In the CAF Champions League, the team have collected four points from two matches, recording one win and one draw, which places them top of their group. Al Ahly opened the campaign with a convincing 4–1 victory over Kabylie, before playing out a 1–1 draw against FAR Rabat.
Overall, Al Ahly traditionally perform very strongly in this competition. The club have won the CAF Champions League four times in the last six editions. Last season, they reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Mamelodi Sundowns.
Regarding home matches against Young Africans, Al Ahly have an excellent record. They have won four consecutive home games against the Tanzanian side, keeping a clean sheet in three of those four encounters.
Young Africans
Young Africans have dominated Tanzanian football in recent years, winning the national championship for four consecutive seasons. The team are currently in excellent form, riding an eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions, during which they have recorded seven wins and one draw. In the Tanzanian league, Young Africans sit second in the table with 19 points after seven matches. They are still unbeaten, having conceded just one goal while scoring 18. The team also have games in hand, which gives them a strong chance of moving into first place.
In the CAF Champions League, Young Africans have also started confidently and remain unbeaten in the group stage. They opened the campaign with a 1–0 win over FAR Rabat, followed by a 0–0 draw against Kabylie. The team currently sit second in the group with the same number of points as Al Ahly, but trail the Egyptian side on goal difference.
Looking at recent Champions League campaigns, Young Africans failed to progress from the group stage last season, finishing third. In the 2023/24 season, they were also drawn in a group with Al Ahly and finished second, advancing to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Mamelodi Sundowns.
Overall, head-to-head history against Al Ahly strongly favours the Egyptian giants. Young Africans have managed just one victory in eight meetings, losing five times and drawing twice. Six of those eight encounters finished with under 2.5 goals scored.
Probable Lineups
- Al Ahly: El Shenawi, Hany, Ibrahim, Marei, Koka, Ateya, Dieng, Romthane, Zizo, Trezeguet, Sherif
- Young Africans: Diarra, Mwenda, Job, Hamad, Hassan, Nzengeli, Yahya, Abuya, Zouzoua, Ecua, Dube
Key Facts and Head-to-Head
- Al Ahly have failed to win 4 of their last 5 matches.
- Young Africans have won 7 of their last 8 matches.
- 9 of Young Africans’ last 11 matches have seen under 2.5 goals.
- Al Ahly are unbeaten in the last 5 head-to-head meetings.
- 5 of the last 6 head-to-head meetings have seen under 2.5 goals.
Al Ahly — Young Africans Prediction
Al-Ahly come into this match in inconsistent form. They have been eliminated from both domestic cups and currently sit third in the Egyptian Premier League. However, in the CAF Champions League, Al-Ahly remain unbeaten, topping their group, and historically perform very well in this tournament. Young Africans are in excellent form, dominating the Tanzanian league, remaining unbeaten domestically. They have also performed well in the CAF Champions League, yet to suffer a defeat. In head-to-head encounters, Al-Ahly have the advantage. In the last eight meetings, Young Africans have won only once and have failed to win the last five matches in a row against Al-Ahly. Considering the teams’ current form, their history in direct clashes, and both sides’ desire to top the group, this match is likely to be competitive but cautious. Home advantage favors Al-Ahly, but a low-scoring game is expected, as often happens in matches between these two sides. My bet for this match: Total Under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.59.
