29 April 2015 02:22
Trying to avoid crashing out of the continent’s premier club competition for the second successive year, Egyptian giants, Al Ahly will try to turn the tables against Moroccan visitors, Moghreb Tetouane (MAT) when both sides clash on Saturday.
The clash marks one of the most awaited fixtures of the 2015 Orange CAF Champions League 1/8 finals second leg.
Losing the first leg in Tetouane to a Mouhcine Iajour added-on time strike, Ahly need to score at least two unanswered goals to qualify for the lucrative mini league stage and avoid a repeat of year’s fate.
The eight-time winners suffered a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Libya’s namesake side, Ahly Benghazi, a result which saw their fall to the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, which they eventually emerged victorious, becoming the first Egyptian side to lay their hands on the title.
But the “Red Devils” won’t afford missing out on the CAF Champions League group stage for the second time in as many years. With a record eight titles to count, Ahly are looking forward to extending their dominance, and to do so they have first to overcome the Moroccan champions in style.
However, the Cairo-based giants will be going through this challenge while living some of their most difficult times in recent times. Widely regarded as the most decorated club in Egypt, they are currently third in the domestic league, with a huge 11 points separating them from arch rivals Zamalek, who occupy the summit.
A lone goal defeat at the hands of Arab Contractors managed by the legendary Hassan Shehata last Monday condemned them to their fourth defeat of the season, leaving the future head coach, Juan Carlos Garrido in serious doubt.
Whilst a section of the media reported that the Spaniard may face the axe amidst huge dismay from Ahly suporters; Club chairman Mahmoud Taher watered down those report stressing “Garrido is going nowhere, at least till the end of this domestic season.
“He (Garrido) is not leaving”, Taher told the press this week. “The team is doing well but luck hasn’t been on our side lately. The technical staff has got all our support and hopefully the Champions League game will mark a new start”, added the Ahly chairman.
The Red Devils were dealt to another major blow in the Monday defeat. In-form left winger Hussein ElSayed sustained an elbow injury, which has ruled him out of action for a month. He is the last to join a long list of absentees that includes striker Amr Gamal, defender Mohamed Naguib and the Mohamed Nagy “Gedo” who just returned from a long term knee injury.
“It’s a difficult time for the club”, admitted Football Director, Wael Gomaa, who won a record 6 CAF Champions League titles with the club as a player.
“But we will not surrender. We have to win on Saturday and go through to the group stage. I can assure you everyone is going to do his best for the team”, the ex-skipper told Cafonline.com.
Ahly will rely hugely on their new attacking recruits, Moamen Zakaria and Nigerian Peter Ebimobowei, but will have to mark the Champions League top scorer Iajour well in the same time.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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