Al Ahly must maintain winning mentality after Al Mokawloon win – Hussein Ammouta

Al Ahly head coach Hussein Ammouta has emphasised the importance of maintaining a winning mentality after his side secured a 1-0 victory over Al Mokawloon Al Arab in the Professional Clubs League Cup.

The Egyptian giants claimed all three points in their Group C encounter at Cairo International Stadium, with the result marking their second-round victory in the competition.

Speaking after the match, Ammouta said his team approached the fixture with the required seriousness despite giving opportunities to several young players.

The Moroccan coach explained that the decision to field younger players from the start was part of the club’s broader approach, while also welcoming the return of Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Hany to action.

“We approach every match with the necessary seriousness. We were keen to give young players an opportunity from the beginning, alongside the return of Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Hany,” Ammouta said.

He was pleased with his team’s overall performance, particularly their ability to control the game, but admitted that Al Ahly should have won by a more comfortable margin.

“We managed to control the match and created several opportunities, but failed to take advantage of many of them. Based on the chances we created, the game should have ended with at least a 3-0 victory,” he added.

Ammouta also expressed confidence in midfielder Imam Ashour, describing him as one of the team’s outstanding players despite admitting that he was not fully fit.

“Imam Ashour is undoubtedly one of the best players. He was not 100 per cent ready, but he will return strongly in the coming period,” he said.

The Al Ahly manager further stressed that his side approach every competition with the ambition of winning, insisting that no match is treated as less important than another.

He also highlighted the coaching staff’s preparation methods, revealing that they study at least five matches of their opponents before each encounter to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

“Within the limits of our available resources and capabilities, we analyse at least five matches of our opponents. However, we always try to impose our style and way of playing during games,” Ammouta explained.

The coach concluded by pointing to squad rotation as an important strategy for managing the demands of a congested fixture schedule.

He believes rotating players will help keep the entire squad match-ready while allowing Al Ahly to remain competitive across the different tournaments they are involved in.