Hossam El Badry praises Al Ahli Tripoli’s ‘smart’ win in CAF Confederation Cup

Al Ahli Tripoli manager Hossam El Badry said his side showed intelligence to secure a 3-0 away victory over Zanzibar champions KM in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Libyan club made an impressive start to its continental campaign despite the domestic season in Libya not having begun. Fiston Mayele, formerly of Pyramids FC, Hamdou Elhouni and Hussein Al-Deheiry scored for Al Ahli Tripoli.

Speaking at a news conference after the match, El Badry said the result was particularly encouraging given the timing and conditions of the game.

“As you know, the league in Libya has not started yet, so the first match of the season was difficult, especially because we played it away from home,” said the Egyptian coach.

“But we played an acceptable match considering it was our first game of the season, and now we will focus on the second leg.”

Al Ahli Tripoli will take a three-goal advantage into the return fixture in Libya, although El Badry warned that the tie should not be considered settled.

“I always say that football is not easy and anything can happen, so I hope we achieve a positive result in Libya,” he added.

The manager also acknowledged that his squad may need more time to reach full physical readiness. He pointed to the number of new signings in the team as one reason why the players are still adapting.

“Perhaps we need some time to reach the required level of physical readiness, especially with the presence of many new signings,” El Badry said.

“I think we played the match intelligently.”

The victory was achieved under El Badry, who is leading Al Ahli Tripoli in the club’s Confederation Cup campaign. The second leg will give the Libyan side the opportunity to complete the tie after establishing a commanding advantage in Zanzibar.

El Badry also spoke warmly about his surroundings after the match, praising Zanzibar and suggesting he would return there in the future.

“The country here is very beautiful, Zanzibar, and I think I will return to it again, but not for football. I will come to spend my holiday,” he said.

Egyptian player Mostafa Shakshak was named among the substitutes for Al Ahli Tripoli but did not start the game.

Egyptian clubs are also represented in the CAF Confederation Cup by Al Ahly and ZED FC. In the CAF Champions League, Egypt’s representatives are Zamalek and Pyramids FC.