Ahly keeping feet on ground ahead of SuperSport test Red Devils taking nothing for granted as they visit South African side with a 2-0 first-leg advantage in the Champions League
Ahly are keeping their feet on the ground before meeting South African side SuperSport United in the second leg of the African Champions League round of 32 on Saturday.The Red Devils are expected to seal passage to the next round after claiming a 2-0 first-leg victory over SuperSport although their display was far from satisfying following a long football break due to the popular Egyptian uprising. Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, who led Ahly to four of their record six Champions League triumphs, warned his side not to underestimate their opponents. “You must respectyour opponent and forget about winning in the first-leg,” the highly-successful manager, who is managing Ahly for a third spell after earning a cult status among their faithful, told reporters. “Football only gives to those who work in the pitch for the whole 90 minutes. “We will have a double mission, the first is ensuring our qualification for the next round and the second is to defend Egypt's reputation in the continental competitions.” Ahly appeared out of sorts in the first leg despite claiming a convincing victory as SuperSport threatened to score a crucial away goal on several occasions. The Cairo giants' players looked rusty after being restricted to friendly matches after domestic competitions were suspended due to the revolt which eventually forced former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to step down. SuperSport's veteran defender Ricardo Katza believes his side can turn the tables in Saturday's clash. “We need to be positive and give our all. I know it's a big mountain to climb but we can do it. We will be playing at home,” he said on the club's official website. “I'm calling all our fans to rally behind us as always. We don't go out there to lose matches; we know how important they are to the team. They are the ones who keep the team going. “We will try as much as we possibly can not to disappoint our loyal supporters come Saturday.” Ahly will miss suspended attacking midfielder Mohamed Barakat and injured striker Emad Meteb, who is yet to play his first competitive game after returning to the club in the January transfer window. Mauritania striker Dominique Da Silva, who also arrived in January, is likely to start after finding the net in the first leg. SuperSport will be without suspended duo Anthony Laffor and Fikru Lemessa.
