CAIRO: African champions Ahly were set to resume training yesterday, Tuesday, in order to prepare for next Saturday s Cairo derby against arch-rivals Zamalek. The Egyptian champions are boosted by their historic CAF Champions League triumph on Sunday, having beaten Cotonsport 4-2 on aggregate in the final to claim a record sixth title. Assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri said that the team would prepare for the pulsating game immediately after returning from Garoua. There will be no rest after we return from Cameroon. We told the players to put their African victory aside and concentrate on the forthcoming Zamalek encounter, Al-Badri told Ahly s official website. We are looking forward to building on our success on the African stage and clinch the local trophies as well. The team has already arrived in Cairo on Monday morning, following a tough journey. Ahly lie fifth in the Egyptian League table with 16 points from seven games, trailing leaders Petrojet by nine. However, the defending champions still have five rescheduled matches to play. Manuel Jose s team clashed with Zamalek twice in the Champions League group stage this season, in addition to their Egyptian Super Cup clash. The Reds won 2-1 in the Champions League opener, and were held to a 2-2 draw in the return game. They also won 2-0 to clinch the Super Cup.
