Cairo rivals discuss Champions League clash with CAF website

Ahly coach and Zamalek assistant coach talk to the official CAF website about their upcoming clash in the African Champions League

Ahly coach Hossam El-Badry has said Sunday's match with arch rivals Zamalek in the African Champions League group stage will be an important step on the road to a spot in the competition's semi-final.
"Ahly and Zamalek games are the biggest dates on the Egyptian football calendar no matter the time or the tournament and under any circumstances. This game is very important and tough for both teams because they both seek qualification to the semi-final of the Champions League," El Badry told the official website of Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday.
The teams will meet behind closed doors at the Military Academy Stadium in Cairo due to lingering security concerns, but the match remains very important despite of the absence of fans.
"The fans' absence will definitely affect both teams' performance. We hoped they could have attended the game to give the derby its regular atmosphere. But it remains a big game despite being played behind closed doors.
"I hope the game ends peacefully and in a way that justifies the big names of Ahly and Zamalek in Egypt and on the continent," explained El Badry.
The winners of six CAF Champions League trophies, Ahly, defeated DR Congo champions TP Mazembe 2-1 in the first round of the continental tournament. The Cairo giants won two friendly matches this week amid their preparations for the anticipated clash.
"Zamalek coach Hassan Shehata is a friend before he's an opponent. He's one of the continent's best managers and his tactics are highly appreciated. He called me to congratulate us after we defeated Mazembe and that was very kind of him, and I intend to do the same when Zamalek wins any game. I hope this match fulfils expectations from big names like Ahly and Zamalek.
"All the players are ready technically and physically, and we'll play to win," concluded the 52-year-old tactician.
Zamalek in a critical situation but not afraid
On the other side, Zamalek will be in a must-win situation especially after their loss to Ghana's Chelsea 3-2 in their previous match in the continental championship.
Despite stressing his full respect for Ahly, Zamalek assistant coach Ismail Youssef has insisted that his team is not afraid of the Red Devils.
"Zamalek against Ahly is a derby, and derby games can't be easily predicted. The game is very tough for both teams, especially for Zamalek who can't afford to lose more points or else our situation is going to be more complicated regarding qualification to the semi-final," said Youssef.
"I respect all Ahly players as they are all experienced international players. But that doesn't mean we're feeling afraid of them, on the contrary, we'll play to win. Hossam El-Badry is a very good manager and I believe he's not different from his predecessor Manuel Jose, both are talented coaches. But the final word will be the players and how they respond to instructions from their respective coaches.
"Berekum Chelsea was the first competitive game for us in a long time and our players were not physically and mentally fully fit so we lost in the dying seconds. We committed some defensive errors but we have worked on that in the past days and I believe the players learnt their lesson well. There are still five games and 15 points to be played for and so our chances are still strong," added the coach.
Youssef agrees with El-Badry that playing the game behind closed doors will affect the two teams badly, saying: "The absence of fans will affect both teams the same. We were hoping this game would be the one when the fans return to the stands but the circumstances aren't suitable yet. Definitely we will be affected negatively with the supporters' absence, especially in the coming games, as our opponents TP Mazembe and Berekum Chelsea enjoy the advantage of their fans' support."
The last time Ahly and Zamalek met in Africa's premier club competition was in 2008 when they drew 2-2 in the group stage. Ahly went on to win a record-breaking sixth title, one ahead of Zamalek.
Egypt's skipper Hassan predicts a tough derby
Egypt's skipper and former Ahly midfielder Ahmed Hassan, who currently plays for Zamalek, has hailed his old team but insisted that he and his teammates are ready to prove their worth on Sunday.
"Ahly is a big team and I believe they are in high spirits after beating TP Mazembe in match day one but these derbies are hard to predict and have no particular or special format. I hope the game matches the big names of Zamalek and Ahly on the continent," the experienced midfielder explained.
"It's going to be a very tough game for both teams as it's always a difficult game between these sides. I believe Zamalek's mission is harder after we lost our first match against Ghana's Berekum Chelsea. We need to win to keep our chances alive for a semi final spot.
"I think all our players are ready, and even the injured ones are fighting hard to gain fitness and avail themselves for selection. We are all ready for the game," he concluded.
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