Tunisian side, CS Sfaxien makes a return to Cairo five years after playing against Al-Ahly in the Orange CAF Super Cup, hoping to make amends this time.
Sfaxien lost 2-1 that day, 6 February 2009, with Angolan Flavio Amado netting a double for the Cairo giants whilst Ivorian Blaise Kouassi scored for the Tunisians. At the time, Portuguese Jose Manuel was the coach of Ahly and Ghazi Ghrayri for Sfaxien.
Since then, a lot has happened at both clubs, notably the recent retirement of Ahly legends, Mohamed Aboutreika and Mohamed Barakat, whilst Mohamed Youssef was elevated to the head of the technical team following the departure of Hossam Al-Badri.
For Sfaxien, Dutchman Ruud Krol who guided them to the Orange CAF Confederation Cup title last year has switched camp by joining rivals Esperance, and the team is an entirely different set up compared to five years ago.
The Sfax-based club has a huge task in their quest to upset Ahly, a club famed for winning silverwares and at their fortress, Cairo International Stadium.
The trophy cabinet of the ‘Red Devils’ overflows with several titles; 36 league titles, 35 FA Cups, seven Egyptian Super Cups, eight CAF Champions League titles, four CAF Cup Winners’ Cup and five CAF Super Cups. The Cairo-based club has an accumulated trophy haul of over 100 since their birth on April 24, 1907, and was named the continent’s foremost club of the 20th century.
Ahly have won six of their eight continental crowns since 2001 besides losing the final of the 2007 edition to Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia.
Sfaxien comes across like a child facing the waterfront of the Nile. Twenty-one years younger (formed in May 1928), it has won the Tunisian league eight times, runners-up of CAF Champions League in 2006, one Tunisian League Cup and one Tunisian Super Cup.
Their best record is being the first and only club to win the Orange CAF Confederation Cup three times, a feat achieved in four final appearances (lost to FUS Rabat of Morocco in 2010). Its previous continental silverware was winning the 1998 defunct CAF Cup.
Their 2006 defeat in the CAF Champions League was at the hands of Ahly, 2-1 on aggregate with Aboutreika scoring in both legs whilst Ghana forward Joe Tex Frimpong scored for Sfaxien.
Ahly will be backed by their vociferous fans who will be present at matches for the first time in as many matches. A keen contest awaits all on Thursday, 20 February 2014.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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