Ahli coach Manuel Jose said he is confident his side can clinch the African champions League title when they face Tunisia's Sfaxien in the second-leg of the competition's final on Saturday. Sfaxien held defending champions Ahli to a 1-1 draw in the first-leg at the Cairo International Stadium but Jose warned the Tunisians that they have to battle in order to lift the trophy. "They thought they had won the final. But now they have a fantastic responsibility to do so because we are the champions," he told BBC Sport on Friday. "If they are going to win this cup, first they must pass over us. They made big celebrations after the last game but there are still 90 minutes left - wait for us." The Portuguese boss is worried about Sfaxien's style of wasting time, which they applied during the first-leg. "The Sfaxien players should know that wasting time all the time is not fair play and is not football," he said. "We have fair play. If they win on Saturday we will congratulate them."
The Egyptian champions eye equaling arch-rivals Zamalek's record of five African Champions League titles under their belt. Jose believes winning the African Cup for the second successive time would be a great achievement given the numerous injuries which hit the Red Devils. "We have a world record in matches unbeaten, 54 without defeat, and now we have another world record in surgery - nine operations." "We are a bit weaker as a team than last season but we are mentally strong and I trust in my players. The team is ready to play well and win the competition again," he added. Ahli assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri shares Jose's confidence that the Egyptian champions are close to retaining their title despite the disappointing first-leg result. "Our chances in the game exceed 90%, I'm not exaggerating because Ahli will play this match with nothing to be feared of as we have no other choice but to win," he said. Al-Badri revealed that duo Hassan Mostafa and Hossam Ashour will start at the heart of midfield due to the absence of Mohamed Shawki, who is suspended. Mahjoub puts aside World Club championship talks
