Confederation of African Football
Al Ahly head coach Marcel Koller has admitted his side faces a tough assignment when they take on holders Wydad Athletic Club in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final in Cairo on Sunday.
The Swiss trainer says he has studied Wydad and how they play, admitting they will not be an easy opponent.
“I have watched many of their matches to study them and I know they are one of the strongest teams in the Continent. It will be a difficult match but we will strive with all our might to achieve victory in the first leg,” the tactician said, speaking ahead of the duel.
He says he has belief in his team’s ability, pointing out they have proven themselves over the quarters and semi-finals and they are ready to put up another stellar performance to move closer to a historic 11th African crown.
“Many people doubted our ability during the group stages, but we were able to march on and work hard to be where we are today. We want to continue in this same form for the next two matches,” Koller opined.
Meanwhile, Ahly will still be without their first choice keeper Mohamed Elshenawy who despite having returned from injury, has not attained the needed levels of match fitness.
Coach Koller says he didn’t want to take chances with him, especially having missed 17 days of training. He has only trained with the rest of his teammates once before Sunday’s game.
“We have a very big and talented group of players. I trust in all my goalkeepers and all my players and they will have their chances in the match,” said the coach.
Ahly will be facing Wydad in a final for the third time, and the two previous ties, in 2017 and last season, ended in victory for the Moroccans.
But, Koller believes this will have no effect when the two African giants clash again in the two-legged final.
“We are not affected by the past. We always look forward, and I am not one of the people who looks at the past. So much has changed over those two matches. This is a new meeting with new possibilities,” Koller noted.
He says their ambition will be to ensure they score goals, and work to their best to keep a clean sheet, to make things easy for them in the return fixture in Casablanca.
Ahly host the first leg at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday night, the duel kicking off at 21h00 local time (19h00 GMT).