Ahli hero Mohamed Abou-Treika said that he and his teammates came to Tunisian determined to win their fifth African Champions League title. The Egyptians snatched a dramatic 92nd minute goal, courtesy of Abou-Treika, to register a hard-fought 1-0 win over CS Sfaxien of Tunisia on Saturday night. “There was a lot at stake here today,” Abou-Treika told Arab Radio and Television ART after the game. “But our main inspiration was teammate Mohamed Abdul-Wahab who passed away last summer during training,” he said. “We wanted to win it for Abdul-Wahab,” added Abou-Treika. Ahli's chances of retaining their African title received a huge blow when they were held to a 1-1 draw against Sfaxien in the first-leg in Cairo two weeks ago. “I was sure we will excel in Tunisia and we did because we are not under the same pressure we faced while playing at our home pitch in Cairo. But skipper Shadi Mohamed insists the first-leg result worked in Ahli's favor.
Fans showing a banner with the picture of Abdul-Wahab “After the disappointing first-leg result, we vowed to do our best and return with the trophy,” said Mohamed. “Here we are going to Japan (for the World Club Championship) for the second successive time, an unprecedented honor,” he added. Ahli's campaign was a harsh one this season as the team had to endure a string of injuries that left their squad depleted. “It was tough,” said midfielder Hassan Mostafa. “But we overcame the hardships and injuries with our determination to win this precious title,” he added. Meanwhile winger Mohamed Abdullah, who was fielded by coach Manuel Jose after a long layoff period, apologized to Ahli's fans for his ‘below-par' performance. “I have to say I'm sorry, I know my performance was below-par,” said the versatile winger who was substituted by Jose in the second-half. “I wasn't playing competitively for the longest time, and my return came in the most critical match of the season,” he added.
