A sublime second-half goal from Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi gave Egypt s Masry a deserved 1-0 home win over USM Alger in the first leg of the African Confederation Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
Wadi, who earlier missed a sitter, netted what proved to be the winner nine minutes after the restart, thanks to a back-heel effort that sent the home fans into raptures in coastal city Port Said.
Masry could have even increased their lead had it not been for their wastefulness, with USMA unable to make their African advantage count against their less fancied opponents.
The second leg will take place at the 5 Juillet Stadium in Algiers next Sunday.
Roared on by their passionate crowd, Masry largely controlled proceedings and were unlucky not to go ahead in the first half.
Their best chance before the break fell to lively winger Islam Eissa, whose toe-poked effort from inside the area was denied by the post.
In the second half, Masry picked up from where they left off, launching a wave of attacks in the early stages of the period.
A powerful shot from Eissa went just over the bar before Wadi was guilty of a glaring miss, having skewed his effort wide with the goal at his mercy.
He made amends in superb fashion in the 54th minute. He had two shots blocked by his marker but when the ball fell into his path for a third time, he made no mistake with a precise back-heel, sparking wild celebrations in the stands.
Masry continued to press forward after taking the lead, with Eissa s pace and trickery causing constant menace to USMA s rearguard. The visitors failed to take advantage of their counter attacks as Masry managed to protect their slender lead.
