USM Alger coach Abdelhak Benchikha believes Al Ahly will be under pressure when the two sides face off in the CAF Super Cup in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
The tie will bring together two sides that won the Champions League and Confederation Cup at the end of last season and this will be the second continental title in the history of the Algerian club despite the difficult clash with the Egyptian giants.
“I always tell them that we must be focused as we are supposed to be throughout the match and show the face that a football match requires of us. We must be calm, comfortable, and match Al Ahly. Because at the end of the day, there is nothing for us to lose,” he said as quoted by CAFonline, adding: “The pressure during the match will be on the opponent, especially since Al Ahly is on paper the favorite to win given its history and titles it holds, not to mention that it is the team of the century. At the same time, we respect our Egyptian brothers and respect Al Ahly. Despite all this, we also want to win.”
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On how USM are prepared heading into the battle, Benchikha said: “Our preparations were normal because they consisted of preparations for the start of the football season. We prepared for 16 days outside the country, specifically in Tunisia, where we played 3 friendly matches and several training sessions. This is part of our regular preparations for the football season, not just special preparations for the CAF Super Cup.”
He added: “What can I say, our situation is the same as Al Ahly’s situation. It will be more of an exhibition match than anything else. We hope to be up to the level. Everything is fine for us, despite the injuries I have in the team roster. We started tactical preparations for the Al Ahly match, and we are gradually preparing for every big and small thing. This is a football match where anything is possible. In one game we can see any result, which is why we are optimistic before traveling to Saudi Arabia. We are optimistic and why not come back with the cup.”