Al Ahly Boss Pitso Mosimane discussed Red Devils’ clash against Al-Merrikh and admitted it will be tough for his side as usual against Sudanese teams.

A reduced Al Ahly team will take on Al-Merrikh tonight (19:00 GMT) for their first group stage game as the Cairo-based outfit start title defence at home.

The team considerably decreased with the absence of five key players who took part in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Read : Al Ahly announce squad for CAF Champions league game to Al-Merrikh

But Pitso said there will be no excuse for his team as they have the advantage of playing at home.

“We played tough games in the Club World Cup. It was a successful experience and we benefited from it. It showed that we has to improve on several things,” Mosimane said in pre-match press conference, per KingFut.

“My choices for the game have been influenced by the injuries we have. Though Al Ahly does not look for excuses, the whole squad is capable of replacing anyone.”

“Al Ahly’s games against Sudanese teams are always tough and we have the advantage of playing the first game at home. We will face a tough opponent that got more rest than us and has no absences. We don’t look for excuses and I predict that we achieve a positive result.”

“This year’s Champions League will be very competitive but the team is used to playing with absences as they are up for responsibility.”

“I am happy to play at Cairo Stadium. Our focus right now is taking each game at a time.”