Pitso Mosimane and Percy Tau go head-to-head with Rulani Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi and Themba Zwane as Al Ahly host Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League.
Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has played down the importance of his team’s Caf Champions League Group A clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo on Saturday night with a kick-off at 19:00 GMT.
While Al Ahly appear to be taking the game seriously, to the extent of asking the Confederation of African Football and Egyptian authorities to allow a crowd for the match at their home ground, Mosimane’s view is the Champions League starts for real at the quarterfinal stage.
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“I look at football differently. You don’t have to beat Sundowns to win the Champions League.” The coach said.
“There is really not so much for us in this. If we have to meet [later], we may have to meet them in the semifinals or the final. Because we’ll keep avoiding each other according to the way it’s set up.”
Al Ahly, who had their opening Group A match against Sudan’s Al-Merreikh postponed during their FIFA Club World Cup commitments, kicked off their group-stage campaign with a 0-0 draw away to Al-Merreikh’s rivals Al-Hilal last weekend.
They laboured for much of their game in Omdurman, with Mosimane blaming fatigue, the pitch’s condition and humidity for the sluggish display.
“Our match against Sundowns will be as difficult as the game against Al-Hilal. But it will be played in better conditions in terms of temperature and the pitch.” Mosimane added.
“Sundowns’ philosophy has not changed. They still maintain the style that I started with them eight years ago. But there are things and points that they have developed in their game.”
Ahly welcome back regular goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawi after he recovered from a hamstring injury that he sustained at the African Cup of Nations. South African forward Percy Tau is also back after recovering from a muscle injury that kept him out of the Club World Cup.
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Sundowns are in their third match of Group A, having started with games against the group’s Sudanese duo with a 1-0 win at home against Al-Hilal, then 0-0 draw against Al-Merrikh on Saturday in neutral Cairo, where the Brazilians have remained for their match against Ahly.
“As a team we are happy, we are on top of the log. But we know for sure that the job is not done yet, but so far so good. On Saturday we are playing against Al-Ahly. It’s going to be a fight and as a team we are looking forward to giving it our all.” Zwane said on Sundowns official website.