Head coach of FAR Rabat, Alexander Santos, has hailed his outfit remarkable CAF Champions League quarterfinal qualification.
The Moroccan outfit held Al Ahly to a pulsating goalless draw at the Cairo international stadium, ensuring their qualification to the last eight of the competition.
The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities but failing to find the back of the net in a match that showcased solid defending and cautious attacking.
With this draw, both teams have qualified to the quarterfinal of the CAF’s elite club competition.
“I congratulate Al Ahly on qualifying. Our qualification is a historic moment for the club. The group is strong, and the biggest proof is the close number of points between the teams.”
“We are the only team that came to Cairo and did not concede any goals. I thank the 500 Royal Army fans who attended. Some people doubted our qualification after the first two rounds, but we succeeded in the end.”
“I did not focus on the result of the other match between Young Africans and JS Kabylie, and I stressed to the coaching staff and the players not to pay attention to this match and to focus only on the Al-Ahly match.”
“Anyone who knows my playing style, whether with the Royal Army or with my previous team, and I have faced Zamalek, JS Kabylie and other North African teams, will know that my playing style has never been about wasting time.”
“The group stage is a mini-tournament for us. The result of our match against Young Africans was fair to me, given the dubious goal we conceded. Some teams may start the group stage with good results and then experience a decline, but we did the opposite.”
Al Ahly secured top spot in Group B, accumulating 10 points, followed by FAR Rabat (9 points), with Young Africans and JS Kabylie finishing third and fourth respectively.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has set February 17, 2026 for the Champions League quarterfinal draw.
