Egyptian giants Al Ahly secured a record-extending 12th African Champions League title by defeating Esperance 1-0 in the second leg of the final in Cairo.

This victory, following a goalless first leg in Tunisia, highlights Al Ahly's dominance in African football.

The decisive moment came early in the match when Rami Rabia's header, from a corner delivered by Hussein El Shahat, deflected off Esperance midfielder Roger Aholou and nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.

This goal set the tone for the remainder of the match, putting the hosts in a commanding position.

Al Ahly's pursuit of an extended lead saw Wessam Abou Ali strike the side-netting and Percy Tau shoot narrowly wide before the break.

El Shahat was also denied by Esperance goalkeeper Amanallah Memmiche, reflecting the hosts' offensive pressure.

Esperance, on the other hand, found it difficult to break down Al Ahly's resolute defense. Yan Sasse's curling effort off target just after the hour mark was one of the few notable attempts from the Tunisian side.

In the closing stages, substitute Afsha nearly doubled Al Ahly's advantage with a free-kick that hit the crossbar.

Despite this, Al Ahly maintained their slender lead, navigating through six minutes of added time to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory and their fourth Champions League triumph in five years.

This season, Marcel Koller's squad went unbeaten throughout the tournament, replicating the achievement of the 2005 Al Ahly team.

Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir's remarkable run of nine consecutive clean sheets was pivotal in this successful campaign.

Extending their unbeaten streak in continental competitions to 22 games, Al Ahly's latest victory underscores their continued supremacy.

Both Al Ahly and Esperance have already qualified for FIFA's expanded 32-team Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States in June and July next year, alongside Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns.