CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

to be very careful of this man without necessarily concentrating on him alone. They have to keep it tight in the midfield and at the back because Al Ahly also has good strikers and can score any time.

Ahly are like an open book…

TK: How ready and prepared is Al Ahly for the semi-final against Mazembe?

Dr Hossam Hasan: To be honest with you, this is the lowest form Ahly has ever been in since 2022. They have to deal with multiple important players’ injuries, have dished out average performances, dropped points in the domestic league and the derby loss to Zamalek on Monday and so, it’s not a good period for the team ahead of such an important match.

TK: Do you think playing away first will be advantageous for them?

HH:

On paper maybe yes, but we believe Ahly’s experience in the CAF Champions League makes them not to rely on this advantage. They will play both at home and away in the same aggressive and attacking manner no matter where the venue of the match is.

TK: Do you think Ali Maaloul, Tau and Mohamed Hany returned just in time for this match from their injuries?

HH:

Mohamed Hany wasn’t injured. Yes, the goalkeeper (Mohamed) El Shenawy, defender Yasser Ibrahim, Emam Ashour, Marwan Attia and Aloui Dieng as well as (Hussein) El Shahat and Tau are the ones affected by injuries. But they are unlikely to be available except perhaps for Tau. All these players were in the starting line-up when Ahly won the Champions League last year, so it will be tough.

TK: Mazembe actually believe they know how to beat Ahly. What do you think?

HH: Ahly are like an open book to all teams in Africa, but their experience in the Champions League is second to none, especially in the knockout stages. So, Mazembe are entitled to think they have won before the game has even started, but it will not be that easy. This is Al Ahly we are talking about.

TK: How important is coach Marcel Koller in Ahly’s pursuit for a back-to-back championship?

HH: Koller has been great for Ahly since his arrival. But this year he has not been as efficient in his technical and tactical applications like he had been last year. This season has been bedevilled by strange tactical decisions as well as strange and unexplained team selections, and the most glaring was during the Zamalek loss on Monday. So, we shall wait and see how he lines up against Mazembe, but in truth, his decision-making this year has not been on point.

TK: Do you think the match against Zamalek will have acted as good preparation for this weekend’s clash?

HH: Unfortunately, the defeat will psychologically and mentally affect the team ahead of such a huge match. I hope that they can move on from the loss and concentrate fully on the game against Mazembe, which is much more important than a three-points league game.

TK: Which Ahly player do you think can make the difference in this match?

HH: After all has been said and done, we still believe that Wessam Abou Ali will rise above the gloom that has descended to the dressing room following the loss to Zamalek and make a difference. He is a creative spark of the team and the only player capable of pulling a rabbit out of a hat and I trust he will live up to expectation.