Étoile Sportive du Sahel will take on Al Hilal of Sudan today in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final, with the match scheduled at the Suez Stadium in Egypt.
The Sudanese side, coached since 2017 by Tunisian Nabil Kouki, is well aware of the challenge ahead. Étoile secured a commanding 3-1 victory in the first leg in Sousse, meaning Al Hilal must score at least two goals without conceding to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals—a difficult task against a seasoned Étoile squad determined to maintain their advantage.
At a pre-match press conference, Kouki expressed confidence in his players, saying they are fully prepared for this historic fixture. “We will remain in Egypt and face Zamalek in the final. Étoile is a great team, which played a tremendous match against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia,” he noted, acknowledging the quality of the opposition while highlighting his team’s readiness.
However, Al Hilal faces a significant handicap: due to the current political situation in Sudan, the club will not have the support of its large home crowd, removing a key advantage that could have helped them overturn the deficit. Étoile, meanwhile, will look to capitalize on this situation and protect their first-leg lead as they aim for a place in the semi-finals.
