Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller has acknowledged the “difficult circumstances” his Egyptian giants face ahead of their crunch TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage clash with CS Belouizdad on Friday.
The Cairo-based giants brace for a pivotal clash against the Algerians, seeking to fortify their unassailable position at the halfway stage of group phase.
Al Ahly presently leads Group D with commendable four points, positioning them as the team to beat.
Belouizdad are second with three points, Medeama closely trails in third place with three points while Young Africans find themselves at the bottom with one point.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Swiss coach highlighted the Algerian side’s youth, pace and motivation as potential threats to Al Ahly’s hopes of securing qualification for the knockout phase.
“Facing Belouizdad is very difficult given the close level between the teams in this group,” Koller stated. “They have some very talented players and will come to fight.”
Koller also cited his own squad’s recent schedule as a complicating factor, with Al Ahly having battled on numerous fronts in recent months.
“The players are only human and need rest to perform at their best,” he noted.
“We have faced difficult circumstances in terms of stress and mental exhaustion.”
There was a defiant tone underlying Koller’s comments however, as he looked ahead to the match which could secure Al Ahly’s progress in Africa’s premier club competition.
“We are ready and highly motivated to achieve victory,” he stressed. “Things are going well and we still have many trophies left to compete for this season.”
Al Ahly have been criticised in some quarters for below-par performances since winning a historic quadruple last term. But Koller brushed off the comparisons.
“Some people make a constant comparison with last season, but this season still has many championships to compete for,” he said. “We will do everything to win trophies and make the fans happy.”
Koller will have to make do without the injured Moroccan wing back Reda Slim against Belouizdad. But he can still call upon the likes of South African playmaker Percy Tau and Egyptian striker Kahraba to unlock the Algerian defence.