Simba determined to turn things around in Al Ahly’s second meeting
Reigning champions Al Ahly will try to qualify for the CAF Champions League semi-finals where they will face Simba at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday, April 5. The match starts at 10:00 (CAT).
The first match between the two teams, played at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, resulted in a 1-0 victory for the Egyptian Red Devils and booked a place in the rematch.
Al Ahly is unbeaten in their last 17 CAF Champions League matches and will look to continue their good form in their bid for the title for the 12th time.
Simba’s coach Abdelhak Benchikha expressed his regret for the team’s missed opportunities after the defeat against the Egyptian team in the first match last Saturday.
Simba put his opponents under heavy pressure on many occasions, forcing them into his own half but could not find the back of the net.
“In this level of football, you have to try your luck in a big team like Al Ahly, otherwise you will suffer the painful consequences as always,” he said.
Despite all the negativities, Benchikha remains confident in his team’s chances in the first match in Cairo.
“We are not discouraged. We want to use the second stage in Cairo. “Even though it is difficult, we must resist until the end,” he said.
For Al Ahly, the team will have to make it without Yassir Ibrahim Mohamed El Shenawy, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery and undergoing a rehabilitation program following his injury.
The winner of both matches will face TP Mazembe or Petro de Luanda in the semi-finals of the continental competition.
