Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane encouraged his team's players ahead of the game against Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa in the 2021 Africa Champions League final match, saying "It's a chance to write history in the continental tournament." Defending Champions and nine-time winners, Ahly are bidding to claim their 10th title in the prestigious tournament, while Kaizer Chiefs will be fighting for their first ever Champions League trophy. "It's a chance for Ahly to win their 10th African Champions League. It's a chance for Ahly players also to write history in the African Champions League," Mosimane told a press conference ahead of the game. "It's an honor for me to be here as it's not easy to reach the final. All teams who reach the final have a chance to win the title," "We have to respect Kaizer Chiefs who managed to reach the final game after beating big teams like Simba SC of Tanzania and Wydad of Morocco," the South African coach added. "Kaizer Chiefs have more talented players in their squad like Castro, Billiat and they have a brilliant goalkeeper, they are a big team and we have to respect them," Mosimane said. "When you reach the final it means that you are on the right path so I don't worry about Kaizer Chiefs' tactics but I only have to be cautious and concentrate on the game," the Ahly coach stressed. The Egyptian giants, Ahly, are set to face South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs in the African Champions League final on Saturday in Morocco's Mohammed V Stadium behind closed doors, due to the coronavirus pandemic. FIFA Club World Cup return Ahly's veteran goalkeeper and skipper Mohamed El-Shenawy also gave a vote of confidence ahead of the CAF Champions League final, confirming he and his teammates are bidding to make a return to the FIFA Club World Cup again. The Cairo giants claimed the FIFA Club World Cup's bronze medal for a second time in the team's history after beating South American champions Palmeiras 3-2 on penalties following a goal-less draw in Qatar's Al-Rayyan stadium in the last edition of the international tournament. "I hoped to play the game in Egypt with fans' attendance but we also have another advantage to play it in an Arabian country," El-Shenawy told a press conference. "Kaizer Chiefs reached the final game and they deserve it after beating big teams in the previous games," "We are doing our best to win our 10th African Champions League title. Since the first day in the tournament, we promised to claim the title," the Ahly's skipper added. "Our target is to return to the FIFA Club World Cup again," El-Shenawy said. Ahly broke more records after claiming the bronze medal of the FIFA Club World Cup for the second time in the team's history as they are the African team that has achieved the most victories in the FIFA Club World Cup with five victories in total. Ahly booked their place in the Champions League final after beating Tunisian giants Esperance 4-0 on aggregate, while Kaizer Chiefs reached their first ever Champions League final after beating Morocco's Wydad 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged semi-final. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
