CAIRO: Al Ahly coach Manuel Jose is relieved to see his side reach the African Champions League final for the third straight year after beating Ittihad of Libya 1-0 in the semi-final second leg on Sunday. It was a tense game, we were under pressure to win because the first leg ended 0-0 and we were playing at home, Jose told the post-match conference. We are happy to reach the final for the third time in a row, and we hope to make a unique achievement by winning the title. The Portuguese tactician admitted that his players performance was not the best because of the nervous state of the game. We were a bit nervous because we had a slender lead, but I think if we had added a second goal, the game would have had another twist, he said. Jose praised the performance of out-of-form striker Emad Meteb, who made his first start in five games for the Egyptian champions. I think Meteb was brilliant today, he regained some of his lost confidence, and his presence will be vital for us in the final.
